'Bitter disappointment' as organisers pull plug on second Telford 'Full Monty' show
A set of Telford lads are 'bitterly disappointed' to have to keep their clothes on in public after having to cancel a second fundraiser.
The Telford Full Monty Live Crew raised raised £3,000 for Hope House, Mind and West Mercia Search & Rescue when they bared all at a packed show earlier this year.
But following 'poor ticket sales' they have decided to cancel the show planned for Donnington Sports And Social Club on October 27. It was set to raise money for military charity SSAFA and Adoption Matters.
Jay Gough, the organiser, said tickets would be transferable for a new show sometime next year, or people could have their money back.
A statement on the group's Facebook page said: "Sorry to announce this, but due to poor ticket sales for the next event intended to be held on Friday, October 27 at Donnington Sports & Social Club, we have taken the decision to cancel the show.
"We are currently assessing our options to put on the show again around March/April 2024. This will be confirmed over the coming weeks with any luck.
"We are all bitterly disappointed to have to cancel. Especially considering how well the first show went."
They believe the slow ticket sales were down to a combination of events from Christmas fast approaching, other events being on around the same time for Halloween, and also people may not be able to afford to keep having nights out in the current climate.
"The tickets purchased so far will be transferable to the next Full Monty show once it has been announced if you would like to keep hold of them, but if you would prefer a refund please return your ticket to Donnington Sports & Social Club," they added.
"We can only apologise for letting you down this time, but we had no other options available to us."
The previous event saw seven local men, including Donnington parish councillor and Telford’s ‘Batman’ Jay Gough strip down in front of around 200 onlookers.
The inspiration for the event hit Councillor Gough during a rewatch of The Full Monty film earlier this year and within days of putting out a call for volunteers, he had assembled a group of men willing to strip down to help out.
The evening, which aside from the main event, included musical and comedy performances and a raffle.
For many of the men, whose ages range from 18 to their 50s, the experience has given them a confidence boost and an unexpected sense of togetherness.
After ticket sales and the raffle raised £2,819, former Telford councillor Joy Francis stepped in to top up the funds, ensuring all three charities received £1,000 each.
