Banding together for good causes

Handing over charity cheques are (back row, from the left) Sylviane Lawrence, band member Bernie Allen, Christie fund-raiser Peter Snow, Phillip Lawrence, Raymond Ingham and Edwin Baines from the Jubilate Lodge 8561. Front: band members Alan Humphries, Michael Turner, Peter O’Connor and Phil Horrocks.

The Chronicle supports the £100,000 Christie Oldham Appeal

FIVE musicians intent on staving off a midlife crisis have discovered a way of having fun while raising money for charity.

The five have formed a band which not only entertains locally, but raises hundreds of pounds for good causes.

The Christie’s at Oldham Campaign is the latest charity to benefit from the five’s efforts, receiving £600 handed to the group in lieu of payment.

Bernie Allen, founder member of MLC, explained: “It all developed from two of us playing guitars in the front room once a week just for fun.

“The next thing we knew people were asking us if we would do a charity event, then a 60th birthday, and we thought we might as well try to do something useful at the same time.”

Bernie and his music partner Alan Humphries were soon joined by Pete O’Connor on drums, Michael Turner on bass guitar and Phil Horrocks on keyboards

All five also provide the vocals for MLC, which stands for midlife crisis, covering popular music from the past six decades,

Bernie explained: “The rules are ‘we have no rules’. We are Oldham lads in our late 40s to mid-50s and all have other things going on in our lives. We take an audience where we can and use it for good.”

MLC makes no charge for playing at charity events, but asks private parties for a donation for charity.

“We never say how much we want, we leave it up to the people we are playing for to make a donation,” said Bernie.

The sum for the Christie’s at Oldham campaign came from gigs for the Jubilate Masons Lodge ladies’ night, which gave £200, and a birthday celebration for Sylviane Lawrence, who donated £400.

You can contact the band via e-mail at midlife.crisis@btopenworld.com




TO get help or advice in setting up a fund-raising event, contact the appeals office on 0161-446 3988, visit www.christies.org or text OLDHAM CHRISTIE followed by your name and address to 07971-456824 to receive a fund-raising pack.



The pack will have details on how to make sure your money goes to the Christie At Oldham Appeal.

Cheques should be made payable to The Christie (Oldham Evening Chronicle) and sent to the Appeals Office, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX. If sending cash, enclose a covering letter to say it is for the Christie At Oldham campaign.