MORE than £1,100 has been raised in remembrance of Nell Jones, one of the 22 who died in the Manchester bombing, at a Winnington concert.

The Never Forgotten concert, held at Winnington Park Recreational Club on Saturday, August 19, saw 250 spectators dance, cheer and shed a tear while watching performers pay tribute to the former Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School student.

The money will go towards a friendship area at the school, which will give students a place to unwind in Nell’s memory.

Organiser Lee Mackenzie told the Guardian: “It was absolutely amazing – one of the best events I’ve ever been involved with.

“Everyone really enjoyed themselves, they were really getting into it, and the whole concert went off without a hitch – which is a rarity.

“We never had to drum up support for the concert like other gigs. The response was phenomenal.”

Twenty-two seats were kept reserved for each victim of the Manchester Arena attack, and a minute’s silence was held in their memory.

Acts performing on the night included rock and country band Montage, Emily Holland and Iain Bowley from the Northwich Folk Club, Quickstep dance troupe and Welsh DJs Terry and Judith Hughes.

Lee’s band Heart and Soul opened the show while the headline act was Fuse, a five-piece band made up of current Holmes Chapel students.

“When the bombing happened in Manchester, and we saw that kids were involved and one who was killed was from Holmes Chapel, we felt we needed to do something,” Lee said.

“Even if they weren’t at the concert, all the children at Holmes Chapel will have been affected by what happened. It’s hard enough to lose someone, but to have them taken away like that – we had to do something to help them.

“As soon as I put the call out the bands were on the phone asking if they could get involved. Chris went above and beyond to make the concert as good as possible, businesses donated some wonderful prizes for the auction and venues offered their use for free.

“Before we went on stage I said my bandmates that we had to do it right, to respect those who died. It was an emotional night for everyone, and I wasn’t the only person to shed a tear.”