BRADFORD electronic/indie/folk duo EXPERIMENT 637 is donating income from sales of records and merchandise this month to local homeless charities.

The band, comprising Mickey Dale, keyboard player with chart-toppers Embrace, and musician Ronan Peaker, is also planning a benefit concert to raise funds for the homeless.

Mickey and Ronan decided to help out after becoming alarmed by rising numbers of homeless people in the region.

Says Mickey: “We’re donating 100per cent of all income from sales of vinyl, CDs and T-shirts throughout December to a pair of locally based homeless charities - Bradford Nightstop which helps help vulnerable young people aged 18 to 25, and One Big Family - Helping the Homeless which provides essential kits of clothing, sleeping bags, hygiene items and warm food to people on the streets.”

He adds: “Sadly the homelessness issue isn’t getting resolved and it’s sickening to think that in 2023 the problem is as huge as ever, with people in Bradford sleeping under arches in Forster Square, as well as in shop doorways. In the big scheme of things, what we’re doing is a mere drop in the ocean, but hopefully it all helps - and we plan to do more, including a benefit concert next year.”

Ronan and Mickey began writing songs in the summer of 2019. They played just one gig before the pandemic. But over the following two years, the duo crafted their debut album Sleepwater, initially collaborating online, and released it in September 2022 to critical acclaim. Louder Than War magazine awarded it Album Of The Month, hailing it as “one of the great debut albums of our times”.

EXPERIMENT 637 is planning a hometown benefit concert for spring 2024 “to further raise awareness and funds for homeless people in the Bradford area”. To get involved with the fundraising go to experiment637.com.

* Bradford Nightstop provides emergency one-night accommodation for young people in the homes of volunteers. The young people are offered a place of safety with a room of their own, transport, meals, basic essential supplies, washing facilities, support and direction to agencies that can help with their next step. Referrals are made by phone to volunteers and following a risk assessment a young person is placed with one of more than 30 Nightstop hosts in the district. Visit bradfordnightstop.org.uk

* One Big Family - Helping the Homeless provides food, clothing, toiletries and other items to those in need via outreach work. The charity also provides food parcels for local communities and starter kits and essential packs for newly housed people. Run by volunteers, One Big Family works with other charities and organisations that support homeless and vulnerable people. Visit helpingthehomeless.org.uk