Three friends, Simon Sandher, Stewart Green and Christopher McGovern, who began streaming their live COVID Dance Nights on Twitch during the first lockdown, raised £1000 for Covid-19 charity, covid:aid, in a charity club night held on Saturday 26 February at The Admiral Bar in Glasgow.
On Saturday 26 February, five local DJs raised £1000 for Glasgow-based Covid-19 charity, covid:aid, as part of a Charity Club Event held at The Admiral Bar. 100 people attended the sold-out event whose line-up included Stewart Green, Gizzy, Sanders, Neil Davidson and Chri5 T. All profits raised in ticket sales were donated to the chosen charity.
Simon Sandher, Stewart Green and Christopher McGovern started DJing from their homes during the first national lockdown of 2020. They performed live music sets – COVID Dance Nights – for the public every Saturday which were shared online via the Twitch streaming service.
Simon said, “It created a space for people to connect through music during that difficult time and to feel social even though we were all stuck inside.”
But, after two years of online events and with government restrictions easing thanks to a successful vaccination programme, the message from their community was clear: it’s time to move COVID Dance Nights offline and into the club!
Simon said, “Our community asked us to do an in-person club event when it was safe and legal to do so – to bring everyone back together.”
They organised a Covid Charity Club Event at The Admiral Bar on 26 February to raise money for covid:aid, the UK’s national Covid-19 charity, also based in Glasgow.
Simon explains, “We never set out to make any profit from COVID Dance Nights, so we used previous donations to set up the event and decided to give all ticket proceeds from the night to covid:aid. Our plan was always to donate to a Covid-19 charity, and we were glad to see this one was local.”
covid:aid launched in May 2021 to support people across the UK who have been significantly affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was founded in Glasgow by Michael MacLennan, the charity’s CEO.
He said, “It’s wonderful to hear that such a great event was held on our behalf and you can really sense the lively atmosphere from the photos! Our charity is completely funded by donations from the public, so we truly appreciate this level of generosity. A massive thank you to all DJs and everyone involved on the night.
Last month, covid:aid was congratulated by a cross-party group of MSPs in a Scottish Parliamentary motion which recognised the charity’s work and dedication in delivering support to people in the UK affected by the pandemic. Their work includes a free Covid-19 Support Community platform set up to provide users with access to advice and information on topics such as Long Covid, grief and bereavement, and trauma, as well as short Courses with tips on how to manage common Covid symptoms like a loss of smell or taste. The charity also collaborates with national organisations on Covid research and developments, including Asthma and Lung UK’s digital tool to facilitate the diagnosis of Long Covid (My Long COVID Needs funded by the NHS) and the National Institute for Health Research-funded resource for personalised Long Covid self-management support (the LISTEN project).
Covid Dance Nights can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud @coviddancenights.
All images credited to Vincent Hamill.
