Jim breaks the £250k barrier with star-studded event

Entertainer and DJ Jim Nicholas has been raising funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice for more than thirty years.

L-R Jim Nicholas, Jimmy Cricket, Peter Scarsfield, David Ireland and Rachael Taylor of Francis House.

The stage was set for one final night of fundraising with an evening of music and variety at Oldham’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. With the support of loyal fans and friends from the world of show biz, Jim Nicholas achieved his goal of raising an incredible £250,000!

Jim has been entertaining audiences with his Elvis tribute act and DJ show since 1994, putting out a collection box to benefit the much loved children’s hospice.

The 10th edition of ‘Stars Come Out for Francis House’ saw Northern Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket, and Jim as compere, reunited back on stage for the final show in the series.

Jimmy Cricket said: “My thanks to organiser Jim Nicholas for the last great ‘Gala Charity Evening for Francis House Children’s Hospice. Their director, Revd David Ireland, accepted the last ‘Gala cheque’ which makes it a total of a quarter of a million raised over many years doing shows.”

Man wearing a black jacket and tie holding a microphone with his arm around the shoulder of another man stood on a stage

Man dressed as Hank Marvin playing a guitar under a spotlight on a stage

Man playing a guitar stood on a stage with a woman singing in front of coloured balloons

Man dressed in a silver jacket singing under a spotlight on a stage

Music duo Kimika and top class tribute acts Peter Scarsfield performing as Frankie Valli, and guitarist Justin Daish as Hank Marvin, delighted the audience with their incredible vocals and skilled performances.

Jim said on reaching his milestone: “I am delighted to have raised £250,665.00 and would like to thank my wife Denise and all the people who have supported me over the years.

“When I first went to Francis House and saw the families, I felt I wanted to do everything I could for them. If I can help someone along the way and make people happy, I’m happy.”

David Ireland said: “What Jim has achieved is phenomenal. He’s shown incredible generosity and commitment to Francis House with his fundraising for more than 30 years and we can’t thank him enough.”

Francis House Children’s Hospice supports the families of children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions providing respite care and a range of palliative care services from its base in Didsbury. The hospice needs over £4.7 million in charitable donations each year to continue to provide its services.