Snapshot: Comic gesture

Award-winning comic Simon Munnery performed in front of an audience of homeless clients at the Broadway Centre in west London last month. It was Munnery's second gig at the homelessness charity's centre. He said: "Performing for homeless people themselves seems to me much better than doing a gig to raise funds for the cause. I disagree with the kind of 'them and us' mentality that events like that can perpetuate. I just hope people enjoy it." Laura Ballantyne, fundraising officer at Broadway, said she met the comedian last year and told him about the charity's work. Munnery visited the centre and talked to clients to see if they would be interested, which led to a gig last year with performance poet John Hegley. Centre manager Gloria Kainja said: "The people we work with are excluded from many aspects of what we take for granted in everyday life. Due to lack of money and public prejudice, they can't go to pubs or clubs to see things like stand-up comedy. Simon coming to the centre is a really positive gesture."