Big gig to help Luton's poorest people

The event takes place on at the Celtic Club on Saturday October 8 , starting at midday and continuing to around midnight.

We Shall Overcome aims to gather food for the local food banks and raise money for the town’s most vulnerable people.

Acts include Luton punk sensations Hazard, the soulful Clayton Stevens, popular party band Sons of the Late Colone and covers band Definitely Could Be will be performing. Shadow cabinet member and Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins will open the festival.

Admission is granted in exchange for a donation of food or money for the town’s food banks and other causes.

Organiser Ian Roberts, who will also be performing on the day, said: “We Shall Overcome is fighting back using music as our weapon and community as our goal.

“We have a raised fist and a helping hand to try to combat the effects of child poverty, benefit sanctions, bedroom tax, cuts to disabled support, the carers who are in crisis, the ever rising rough sleeping,homelessness, and the mental health crisis.

“Why do these things still exist in one of the richest economies on earth? Perhaps we’ll never know the real truth, but we can do something about it – we can join together to help those in our local communities who need our help most, and if we all do our bit then We Shall Overcome.”

Luton Celtic Supporters Club spokesman Robert McLaren said: “We are delighted to be involved and to help We Shall Overcome by donating our venue for the day.

“ We Shall Overome are trying to help those who need our help most in our local communities and that’s the very ethos in which the Celtic Football Club was founded upon.

“We shall do all we can to help make the We Shall Overcome day the massive success it so totally deserves to be.”

This will be the second year the town has hosted the event. Last year, visitors donated enough food to make up 36 food parcels and donated £232 in cash for the Luton food bank and £215 for the Mary,Seacole Housing Association, which works with young homeless people.

Visit weshallovercomeweekend.com for details.