A benefit concert rushed together by The Message and Ivy Manchester has raised over £60,000 for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.

Heart for Haiti at the Manchester Apollo on Thursday night was put together within ten days of local leaders Andy Hawthorne and Anthony Delaney returning from an emergency mercy mission to the disaster-stricken island.

Booking the Manchester Apollo, they managed to persuade Hollywood actor Stephen Baldwin to join the line-up, fresh from his recent appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. He joined Manchester bands LZ7 and Blush and singer Hannah Atkins in the 90-minute show which also featured a full gospel choir and local theatre company In Yer Face.

Andy Hawthorne (of Manchester youth charity The Message Trust) and Anthony Delaney (of Didsbury-based church Ivy Manchester) returned from Haiti on January 25 They were part of a team delivering life-saving medical supplies to emergency clinics in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and nearby island La Gonave set up in the wake of the January 12 earthquake.

After seeing with their own eyes the great need for life-saving food and medical supplies, they decided to rush together the benefit concert in order to raise funds and keep the needs of Haiti’s people in the public eye. Both men shared personal stories and footage from their trip during the night.

Money raised from the event is going direct to Haiti relief efforts through charity Compassion UK. Compassion also found sponsors for 73 children from Haiti and a number of people expressed their interest in going to help as medical volunteers.

‘I was thrilled to be a part of it,’ commented Stephen Baldwin. ‘We all need to respond to this crisis. Even though the pictures are starting to fade from our TV screens, we need to keep the people of Haiti in our minds and hearts.’

Andy Hawthorne added: ‘The people of Manchester have responded wonderfully to the call to help the people of Haiti through giving, sponsoring and even going. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the night in whatever way.’

The Heart for Haiti show is being aired on UCB TV on February 27 and 28. Find out more.

Donations are still being received for the Heart for Haiti appeal here.

See pictures from the show on our Flickr page.

Tags: Bands, Blush, Headline, In Yer Face, LZ7, Manchester