Look To The Stars News: Russell Brand

Beatles Day 2009 To Benefit Charity Appeals

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Fans of the Fab Four around the world will have the chance to celebrate their favorite band during Beatles Day 09 and raise money for the Imagine Appeal for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Marina Dalglish Appeal for a radiotherapy centre in Liverpool.

Officially launched by Julia Baird – John Lennon’s sister – and Ricky Tomlinson, the event will take place on July 10 in places as diverse as China, Russia, New Zealand and of course Liverpool.

This year will mark the second time the event will be held, with last year’s homage to John, Paul, George and Ringo – which gained support from Pink, Russell Brand and the Sugababes – raising over £45,000. Liverpool will once again host a concert as part of the event, and there will be loads of merchandise and happenings available.

July 10 was chosen as the date as it is the anniversary of the Beatles triumphant return to Liverpool from the States and the premiere of the film ‘Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964. The streets were lined with thousands of adoring fans, and organizers hope to re-create the same sort of Beatlemania this year.

“It’s 24 hours when people can show their love for the Beatles and celebrate the legacy of their music,” said Chas Cole, Summer Pops promoter. "The concert at the Echo Arena will be a great way to finish, but BEATLES DAY is really a chance for the ordinary people of Liverpool and other towns and cities all over the world to take part in Beatles related fundraising activities and events. The most important thing is to have fun whilst raising money.

“Liverpool will be the centre of events on 10th July. It would be a great time to visit and let the people show you what makes this city truly great; its heritage, humor, boundless enthusiasm under pressure and above all, its ability to not take itself too seriously. BEATLES DAY here we come!”

The Imagine Appeal is a fundraising campaign launched in 2005 with the help of Yoko Ono to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – the largest children’s hospital in Europe. Since 1914, the hospital has led the way in the care of sick children and now treats more than 200,000 young patients every year. And with patrons such as Wayne Rooney, the Imagine Appeal aims to make the work of the hospital easier.

To find out more about this event, visit the official website.

Russell Brand Steps Up For Addiction Charity

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British entertainer Russell Brand is taking on the challenge to save the charity that helped him beat his drug habit.

Brand has abstained from his heroin habit since 2002, when his agent forced him to enter a rehab program with Focus 12. But the organization faces closure after its funding was cut by the British government – and Brand has offered to do all he can to help it survive.

Along with Davina McCall, Brand is a patron of the charity, and has joined the campaign to keep it running. Established in 1997, Focus 12 is a small charity that deals with all aspects of addiction, and offers addicts the chance to speak to professional people who have had experience in what they are going through. Fees cost up to £550 per week, much of which is funded by a trust.

“Thankfully, we have two high-level patrons without whom I don’t think we would have survived,” said charity boss Chip Somers. “Both are still very much a part of the charity and want to help.”

Give Landmines The Boot With Charity Auction

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A British charity for victims of landmines has launched their annual online celebrity shoe auction.

The Mines Advisory Group has gathered footwear from over 50 celebrities for the auction, which will raise vital funds for their projects and draw attention to the part of the body most vulnerable to landmines.

The auction was launched by model Kelly Knox, the glamorous winner of BBC 3’s best disabled model competition, at Merchant Taylor’s Hall in London.

“We are extremely honored to have Kelly launch our shoe auction this year,” said MAG’s Chief Executive Lou McGrath OBE. “Despite being born without a left forearm, Kelly has proven disability is not a deterrent to success. She should be an inspiration to the many thousands of people who have been cruelly maimed by the thousands of landmines still threatening lives and communities worldwide.”

Celebrities who have donated their soles to the cause include Judi Dench, Geri Halliwell, Chrissie Hynde, Beverley Knight, Ian McKellen, Shirley Bassey, Russell Brand, Jarvis Cocker, Heather Mills, Joanna Lumley, Susan Sarandon, Pete Townshend, KT Tunstall, Chris Martin, Rolf Harris, and many others.

The auction ends on December 4 and can be accessed via the MAG eBay site.

British charity auction site Buy Once Give Twice also currently has some exciting opportunities for philanthropic bargain hunters.

Rays of Sunshine – a charity that grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children in the UK – have a whole bunch of VIP tickets up for grabs on the site right now, including concert experiences with Coldplay, Madness, and the Kaiser Cheifs. There is also a Fender guitar signed by Sting up for grabs, as well as a Chelsea football shirt signed by the whole team, and the chance to hang out with Emma Thompson on the set of the new Nanny McPhee movie.

But you better be quick, this auction ends tomorrow, November 26.

Alicia Keys Holds Charity Ball In London

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Alicia Keys hosted a gala in London last week to raise cash for orphans suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa, and attracted some of the biggest names in showbiz.

The lavish ball – held last Thursday – raised money for Keep A Child Alive, the charity Keys co-founded to provide life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Guests such as Kelly Rowland, Mischa Barton, Russell Brand, and Jennifer Hudson each paid over $2,000 to be part of the ball.

“Any time you’re helping someone is very important and, of course, when children are involved,” said Hudson. “I feel like your celebrity is not about the fortune or the fame. But if you can’t help anyone then it’s in vain, it’s pointless.”

27-year-old Alicia Keys, who stunned the audience by performing a duet of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and REM’s Everybody Hurts with Annie Lennox at the gala, helped found Keep A Child Alive after visiting South Africa in 2003 and witnessing the effects of the AIDS pandemic firsthand. She told BBC Newsbeat that people need to remember that AIDS is a global problem.

“It scares me… it really does. Thinking of myself, thinking of younger generations, my brother’s generation. We have a lot to really be careful about and it’s such a major thing that we have to be cautious. But we can totally avoid it by practicing safe sex and, if you can, just abstinence. And definitely being aware of what’s going on so that you know that you want to protect yourself every time, all the time.”

The ball raised almost $700,000 for the charity.

Celebrities' Big Wardrobes Emptied For Charity

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:52:58 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Shoppers will have the chance to rummage through the wardrobes of some of Britain’s biggest celebrities next month when a new online auction hits the web.

Stars such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Peaches Geldof, Paul Weller, Jodie Kidd, Jo Whiley, Jodie Marsh, and Russell Brand are cleaning out their wardrobes in the name of charity, giving visitors of www.bigwardrobe.com the chance to own some celebrity threads. The big-hearted celebrities have chosen a range of charities that the proceeds of the auction, which launches on May 1, will go to – including Refuge, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and Marie Curie Cancer Care to name just a few.

Online shoppers can browse through dresses, jeans, and tops donated by Peaches Geldof, and the pink top worn by Jodie Marsh on her eviction from Celebrity Big Brother. The Kaiser Chiefs have donated a funky brown vintage suit and black bowler hat, as well as a signed Kaiser Chiefs shirt and a couple of signed football shirts, while Russell Brand has donated a signed pair of his famous skinny jeans.

The celebrity auction follows the sale of a shirt donated by Kate Moss over at eBay. The T-Shirt, which was signed by the supermodel, raised almost $400 for the Princess Alice Hospice, a facility for cancer patients in Esher, England.

The hospice needs $13 million a year to provide care for people across south-west London and Surrey, of which three-quarters is raised through donations and fundraising. Over $1,600 was raised overall from items sold in the auction, which included a ring from children’s novelist Dame Jacqueline Wilson and a t-shirt signed by Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Suzanne Shaw, and fellow Dancing on Ice finalists.

Noel Gallagher & The Who Perform For Cancer Charity

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:37:16 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

A six-day series of concerts for the Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall will begin on March 26th, boasting Noel Gallagher and The Who among its line-up of stars.

The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has been a long-time patron of the annual event, but his group is appearing this year for the first time since the first event in 2000.

Daltrey announced the roster of performers on the charity’s website, saying, “Over the years these shows have really made a massive difference to the money available to build TCT units in NHS hospitals. They also give our teenagers the moral support to help fight this terrible disease.”

Other bands performing at this year’s concerts include Kasabian, the Kaiser Chiefs, The View and The Coral. Wednesday 28th March will see an evening of comedy in place of music, with Russell Brand and Noel Fielding performing.

More information about the concerts is available at the Teenage Cancer Trust web site.

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