Soul singer Pearly Gates shines out to help homeless in Tettenhall
A soul diva has helped a homeless charity in Wolverhampton hit the high notes by helping to launch its furniture project.
Pearly Gates, star of American 60s and 70s band The Flirtations, was in the city to support The Solace Community with its new project that aims to get furniture and essentials for its residents when they are ready to move on. Members of the public can donate their unwanted furniture and items will also be available for the public to buy at the charity's Tettenhall Road site – the Solace Community Emporium – with money going to the homeless people the charity helps.
Solace is a non-profit organisation that provides specialist supported housing for individuals who have experienced homelessness. Seventy-year-old Pearly, whose real name is Viola Billups, is a long-time friend of the charity's founder Thomas Harvey-Beswick, and has been part of its development. Mr Harvey-Beswick said: "It's our way and the Solace's way of giving back to the community. We get donations from kind members of the public and we're looking to help those ready to leave us."
