A Paisley charity has told of their surprise at receiving an email telling them they are to receive proceeds from Paolo Nutini's hometown gig.
The STAR Project says they thought it was a prank when they received the correspondence from Paolo’s management.
We previously reported that the New Shoes hitmaker announced that tickets for the Paisley Town Hall show could be bid for by a text submission costing £3. A total of 500 pairs of tickets will be up for grabs for the August 6 event, with the money going to two charities.
The STAR Project aims to support the community and help bring down deprivation rates. They stand for social justice and the improvement of wellbeing, reducing isolation and tackling hunger.
From financial advice to counselling services, the charity supports people from all walks of life by providing vital help.
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Heather Kay, who has been part of the STAR Project for nine years, says they “couldn’t believe it” when they were told they would be given some of the gig’s proceeds.
She said: “We just couldn't believe it; we did think that we might be getting pranked. The email had copied in someone that we knew, so we were like, it must be legit.
“Then we spoke with his manager, and he said Paolo wanted to do something for his hometown. He is really concerned about poverty and people struggling. Then his manager said, ‘So here’s what we want to do.’
“It's been a tremendous amount of work trying to keep it a secret. He didn't even make that much of a fuss about it either. He is just such a good man."
The STAR Project has recently had its plans approved to take over the adjoining building at their Wallace Street base and knock through to have the buildings amalgamated.
Their outreach has increased fourfold since Covid providing help to thousands of people and their services are continuously growing.
Heather added: “It will give us breathing space. It's gonna help us a lot to be able to keep providing these services. It’s really needed.
“We are all about psychological safety here and that includes the environment. So, if somebody's coming in in distress we've got one small room that we can take them in.
“But just having that extra space will allow people to come in and make it their own. We love the building, but it's held together with spit and polish."
The news of the show has given the project and the town of Paisley a “buzz” as volunteers and staff have taken to the streets to advertise the gig - even getting Paolo’s dad to take part.
One volunteer Linda Greg showed us their homemade costume that they dressed in to parade around the town.
“It's nice to hear the buzz. It's nice to hear people excited. There is a boost of people feeling super proud of where they are from.”
The vast array of services the STAR Project offers includes a foodbank, a discounted pantry, counselling, a men's shed, a toddler group and trips which take place throughout the year.
Text submissions to bid for tickets will close on Sunday, July 7 at 11.59pm.
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