Russell Brand - Russell Brand Stages Benefit Show For Anti-drugs Charity

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star fought substance abuse and alcohol addiction for many years, but turned his back on drugs in 2002.

Brand serves as a patron for Focus 12, an organisation which provides rehabilitation support in Bury St Edmunds, east England, and he headed to the market town on Wednesday night (05Sep12) for a show to raise funds for the organisation.

Ticket sales for the gig, which Brand only agreed to on Monday (03Sep12), have raised around $12,000 for the charity, and chief executive Chip Somers says, "It was completely unexpected - we're absolutely thrilled.

"(The money raised) puts at least two people through the full 10-week detox and residential program and in the process hopefully helps several families that are affected by those two people's behaviour."

Brand became a patron of the charity after previously completing the Focus 12 program.