John Bishop, Jason Manford and Russell Kane join Hot Water Comedy Club fundraiser show for Zoe’s Place

Hot Water Comedy Club is stepping up to support Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice in Liverpool with a special fundraising night on Monday, 28 October 2024.

Zoe’s Place in West Derby faces the heartbreaking prospect of closure by Christmas unless it can raise £5 million to secure a new home.

Now Hot Water Comedy is joining the campaign to save the vitally important and much-loved hospice, which provides respite, palliative and end-of-life care for infants and children up to the age of five.

A fundraising comedy night on Monday 28 October features an all-star line-up with John Bishop, Jason Manford and Russell Kane among the comedians stepping up to the mic in aid of Zoe’s Place.

They will be joined by Iain Stirling, Adam Rowe, Jamie Hutchinson and Dan Nightingale for the unmissable evening of big hearts and big laughs.

While the show, taking place in the 589-seat Theatre 1 space at Hot Water’s Blackstock Market home, is already sold out, the evening will also be live streamed globally to comedy fans exclusively on the Hot Water Comedy YouTube channel.

The live stream will be free to view, with Hot Water directors Paul and Binty Blair hoping it will help even more people to spread the word about Zoe’s Place. But anyone who can is also being urged to make a donation, with all money going towards supporting the hugely important hospice to keep running.

Meanwhile the 28 October event follows hot on the heels of another sold-out fundraising evening which is due to take place in Blackstock Market’s Theatre 1 next Monday, and which features Tony Carroll, Gary Delaney, Jamie Hutchinson, Dan Nightingale, Rob Thomas, Adam Rowe and Paul Smith.

Zoe’s Place cares for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions and its expert nurse-led team delivers individualised, tailored care to children and their families, helping them live life to the fullest.

Founded in 1995, it is one of only three hospices in the UK which specialises in caring for very young children. The six-bed hospice in West Derby has a state-of-the-art sensory room, soft play area, hydrotherapy pool, outdoor play area and garden, along with a specialist bereavement suite where families can stay overnight.

But the lease on its Yew Tree Lane site runs out in 2025 and plans to build a new £3.5million hospice building close by have fallen through due to delays in securing planning permission and rising costs within the construction industry.

Last week devastated staff and families were told it meant Zoe’s Place would close by the end of the year. The charity is now looking to raise £5 million by the end of October to secure its future in the city.

And a city-wide campaign has been launched with both individuals and businesses rallying round to support the hospice.

Hot Water Comedy’s Paul Blair said: 

“As soon as we heard about the situation with Zoe’s Place, Hot Water and all the local comedians were keen to help. It was a matter of calling and texting around, and within 30 minutes the line-up was sorted – everyone jumped at the chance.

“It’s shocking that a charity like Zoe’s Place, which means so much to Liverpool and cares for babies and children, is in this position. We’re aiming to make as much noise as possible with the live stream.

“While the event is all about raising awareness and encouraging donations, we didn’t want to make it inaccessible for people who want to help but might not be able to donate. By live streaming the evening for free we hope it means anyone who can’t donate can still get involved and do their bit by sharing it as much as possible.”

You can make a donation to Zoe’s Place via Hot Water Comedy Club’s fundraiser HERE.

Find out more about the Charity Show live stream HERE.

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