Stand-up comic Chris McCausland is set to headline a fundraising event for Surrey-based Momentum Children's Charity which helps children facing life-challenging conditions.

 Regular panellist on Mock the Week and The Last Leg, Chris McCausland, has just completed a sell-out 140 date tour. 

He is donating his time to the charity event taking place on Wednesday 8 November at The Arthur Cotterell Theatre in Kingston. 

"I don't know what we're promoting, it's sold out," Chris teases at the end of our call.

Despite having not lived in Liverpool for almost 30 years, Chris hasn't lost his scouse twang. He finishes most sentences with a soft, "y'know". Whether I do or do not "know", I can't help but find him agreeable.

"It's very easy to become attached or institutionalised to the little quaint Surbiton and Kingston ways."

Chris studied software engineering at Kingston University; coming out with a 2:2 he admits: "I probably knew more about the pubs in Kingston than I did the subject."

 Although he no longer drinks, he walks me through his favourite locals: Vaults, Options, and The Mill.

A Surbiton local for almost 27 years, Chris says he loves being close to the river and that Kingston has "almost" everything you need. "It's got an Apple store, that helps," he says playfully.

"It's got London down the road if you want it," Chris says. Then, almost spitting the next bit: "But you don't have to deal with it on a day-to-day basis."

Describing himself as "a bit of a mixed bag", Chris says he does "bog-standard stand-up comedy, observational, stories".

"I'm not massively political, not really contentious or offensive comedian," Chris clarifies. "I don't think I'll be cancelled any time soon…"

Has comedy helped Chris through difficult times? "Personally, yes. There's always been a good sense of humour running through not only my family but my city, Liverpool, especially through the 80s when I grew up. Liverpool was known for its sense of humour and dealing with darker times.

"Comedy's always been, sometimes to my detriment, my go-to, my default. Kind of, 'let's push all those emotions under the carpet and make a joke'. Almost the Chandler Bing approach."

The comedy fundraiser has been organised by one of Chris' friends, Erich McElroy, who also runs Crack Comedy in Kingston.

Momentum Children's Charity support families across South West London, Surrey and Sussex, whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. It promises the charity is there "whatever the outcome, as long as needed, so that no family has to cope alone."

Chris says: "It's nice to do something for charity that is local to the area and something that  benefits the kids."

He says he prefers working with local charities, as it feels more "productive". He says: "When you're supporting a national charity, you don't really feel like you're achieving much. It's a tiny drop in the ocean.

"But when you're supporting a local charity, you feel like the effort and the money raised has more of a direct impact on families in the local area. It feels a lot more productive."

Part of Momentum's strategic plan for 2021-2024 is to grow more through geographic expansion, adding family support workers, extending support services, growing its holiday respite programme and building more partners.

"Momentum's one of those charities you hope you never have a connection with," Chris says. "But unfortunately, there people out there that will at some point rely on the amazing service that they offer. It's nice to support the charity and hope you never need that support yourself.

"What Momentum helps with is something that can just really come up out of the blue and shake a family past the point of despair within a very short period of time.

"I've got a 10-year-old daughter myself and I always find value in doing stuff for the charities that provide services to the charity."

When I ask what activities he likes to do with his daughter, he stumbles a bit, then says very seriously: "I like to destroy her Uno or Connect4."

After some light chuckling, he says: "She's been swayed by the magic of Roblox and her boring old dad and Connect4 isn't as exciting anymore."

Tickets have sold out for the fundraising gig on 8 November, but you can join the waiting list here.

Chris encourages people to buy early next time so you don't miss out; also, to check the charity page and see what you can do to support the cause.