PERFORMERS "without a bean to their name" have come together and smashed their fundraising target for the NHS.

Starting a day before Lady Gaga's One World: Together at Home on Saturday, April 18 , Joanne Howells and Darren Howells of Kinmel Bay's NWE Entertainment launched their own gathering of "grassroots stars".

The siblings - alongside Liverpool based singer Samantha Leslie - have created the 'Now Hear us Sing - NHS' Facebook group, where they are providing a variety of entertainment six days a week, and have raised £545 beyond their original goal of £1,200 to fund personal protective Equipment for frontline staff.

Ms Howells said:"It all started when Sam and I were sat up online at stupid o'clock, we had the idea and it's just snowballed from there. We have gained about 3,500 members in under a week.

"It's like Lady Gaga put on her concert with stars that she knew, and that's what we're doing with performers that we've been working with over the years.

"The entertainment industry was one of the first things to go, and will probably be one of the last to start up again.

"A lot of the performers have been really down in the dumps, they've not got a bean to their name and their lives have been taken away. Ever since we came up with this event though, a lot of them are absolutely buzzing and it's so fantastic not just give them purpose, but have these performers give up their time for free for the NHS."

The 'Now Hear Us Sing' format features up to five performers from 4pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday live streaming via the page, and will hold a variety of other, single entertainment events on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday including a Disney princess sign along for the whole family and a Pub Quiz in drag. The group will not stream on Thursdays, the day of the weekly 'Clap for Carers'.

Ms Leslie said: "Joanne spent 20 years with the ambulance service and before I started professionally singing, I used to care for the vulnerable so it’s close to our hearts.

"I know a lot of singers get involved with a lot of charities in general so since lockdown I feel like it’s just a great way to get everyone together to entertain people whilst stuck indoors and to raise some money."

For more information, or to catch a show, visit the page on Facebook.

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.