The Southport Comedy Festival has announced this year’s programme will support the GABA Foundation – a clothing brand and charity founded by two sisters who survived the Southport stabbings last summer. Tony McDonough reports
The Southport Comedy Festival has a cool new partner for its 2025 programme. GABA, a clothing brand launched in August that aims to raise awareness of knife crime and promote a positive message.
GABA stands for ‘Go Anywhere – Be Anything’ and was founded by two sisters, aged 10 and 14. It offers a stylish range of t-shirts, hoodies, polos, and caps promoting the brand and its ethos.
The sisters are survivors of the horrific Southport stabbing attack that occurred in July last year. The eldest was stabbed three times, but still managed to help get some of the younger girls of the room and towards safety.
The sisters have since teamed up to launch GABA Clothing, an idea they say was born out of a desire to transform personal tragedy into a catalyst for hope and healing.
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Southport Comedy Festival director Brendan Riley was inspired after meeting them at a local business event and has since equipped organisers and volunteers with GABA hats.
The charity’s banner is also featured inside the festival marquee, with families invited to enjoy some of the shows.
Brendan says: “Ever since we started organising Southport Comedy Festival we have been determined to support a range of good causes in Southport, such as the Community Link Foundation, the Southport Flower Show charity, Queenscourt Hospice, Southport Lifeboat and others.
“I first came across the GABA Foundation when the girls behind it were speaking and doing a presentation at the recent Southport Business Group networking meeting run by Chris Norris in Birkdale Village.
“They were so impressive with the way they spoke. It was very moving. What they have been through and what they want to do deserves all the support they can get.”
The Southport Comedy Festival is now in its 14th year and takes place from the 3rd to 19th October, with Chris Causland, amongst others, topping this year’s bill.
The official launch of the new GABA Foundation took place at Silcock’s Pier Family Restaurant in August.
Money raised through sales will fund peer-led knife crime awareness in schools and colleges, and a drive to bring in compulsory first aid training for all pupils.