More than 1,000 Boyzone fans who raised £40,000 for a community project in Africa were disappointed yesterday when the Dublin group reneged on an agreement to meet them. The Rehab Group, which organised the massive fundraising campaign, said in a statement last night that it was "devastated by the last-minute changes in the arrangements" and shared the "bitter disappointment" of the fans.
Boyzone, who thanked the fans for their efforts during a 10-minute appearance on stage at the Point Theatre, had since agreed to meet the top five fundraisers and do something to make up for the incident, a Rehab spokeswoman said. Boyzone manager Mr Louis Walsh said the band had sung a cappella style at the charity event and had thanked the fans for their efforts. He declined to comment further on the matter.
Up to 1,200 fans were invited to take part in the Boyzone Fans for Africa Campaign, in which each had to raise more than £20 for a training and community centre for disadvantaged people in Africa.
As part of the campaign, it had been agreed that the five-piece hit group would host a special event in The Point Theatre to "acknowledge the contribution of their fans", according to Rehab.
Boyzone management undertook that the band would make an appearance in front of their fans, each of whom would receive a certificate. On Tuesday, the band's management said that the chart-toppers would also stage a "meet and greet session" with the youngsters, according to a spokeswoman.
This session was abandoned by Boyzone at the last minute, however, due to "security reasons".