Look To The Stars News: Jeremy Clarkson

Celebrity Chefs Cook For an Army

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:04:00 -0000

An Army marches on its stomach they say, so it’s entirely appropriate that on the 2nd October, London’s top chefs will be cooking up a five-course feast to raise money for troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Chefs for Heroes gala dinner is being spearheaded by The Lanesborough’s chef de cuisine, Paul Gayler, and dished up by an ‘army’ of chefs from the City of London’s top restaurants including Andrew Bennett (Sheraton Park Lane), Gary Klaner (Landmark Hotel), Martyn Nail (Claridges), Paul Bates (Intercontinental, Hyde Park Corner), Simon Young (The Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge) and Matthew Marshall (Chamberlains Events).

They will be joined on the night by many of TV’s favourite chefs who will host a limited number of tables. Imagine exchanging recipes and pleasantries over dinner with Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc or Heston Blumenthal – all of whom are on the guest list! Other celebrity guests include Graham Wellesley, Jeremy Clarkson and Andy McNab.

Having cooked for Royalty and pop icons such as Madonna, Mariah Carey and the late Michael Jackson, Paul’s team of the finest chefs will be serving up the most sumptuous menu (using only the finest and freshest ingredients) to London’s glitterati in a bid to raise £250,000 for Help for Heroes, a charity Paul felt compelled to help after his son Lee was shot in the leg whilst serving with the Territorial Army in Afghanistan.

Paul says, “The situation in Afghanistan is forever in our minds with casualties reported almost daily in the news. Hospitals like Selly Oak and rehabilitation centres like Headley Court are having to deal with ever-increasing numbers of injured servicemen returning home in need of their care. As a father of a wounded soldier, I will be forever grateful for the brilliant care Lee received at the hands of the Headley Court team.”

Help for Heroes raises funds needed for services and facilities like Headley Court to exist. In the next year, the charity aims to raise £20m to fund seven “Hero Recovery Centres” across the UK, providing homes where the wounded can recover, re-skill, and prepare to return to their lives.

The markets of London are kindly donating the ingredients for the evening’s menu, so the proceeds from attendance go direct to Help for Heroes and the true beneficiaries – the returning wounded heroes.

Tickets can be booked at www.chefsforheroes.org. Anyone wishing to sponsor or otherwise get involved in making this evening a success can email richardb@looktothestars.org.

Race The Original Stig For Charity

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of the British motoring show Top Gear – hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May – will be interested to hear about a new charity auction in which you have the chance to race against The Stig – the TV show’s tame racing driver whose identity is a closely guarded secret.

The original Stig was clad in black overalls and a black helmet, but was “killed off” when his identity was revealed as Perry McCarthy. And it is this Black Stig that features in this auction, which aims to raise money for Transaid.

There are 10 chances to race the Original Stig – AKA Perry McCarthy – at London’s premier karting circuit The Raceway on August 25. The day will start with a 10 minute qualifying session followed by 2 intense 25 minute races. The top three drivers will then climb the podium to receive their trophies!

Transaid is an international development charity that seeks to reduce poverty and improve quality of life through providing better access to essential services such as health, education and economic opportunities in Africa and across the developing world. By working with the UK transport and logistics industry, Transaid builds local skills and knowledge to make transport cheaper, safer, cleaner and more effective. Funds raised from this auction will greatly benefit their professional driver training project in Zambia and their work to improve access to healthcare for women and children in Nigeria.

Access the auction, which only has a few days left to run, by clicking here.

Stars Sign Mini For British Forces Morale

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A car signed by some of Britain’s favorite stars will go up for auction at Bonhams Auction House tonight, July 3, to raise money for the British Forces Foundation's Lap of Honour charity, which aims to boost morale in Britiain’s Armed Forces.

For the last year, the Mini cooper – adorned with a Union Jack on the roof – has been traveling around Britain, gathering autographs from well-known faces such as Michael Caine, Richard Branson, Sienna Miller, Simon Cowell, Terry Wogan, Joan Collins, Roger Moore, Michael Parkinson, Cliff Richard, Ranulph Fiennes, Tom Jones, Hugh Grant, Judi Dench, James Blunt, Katherine Jenkins, Jackie Stewart, Rod Stewart, Lewis Hamilton, Kate Moss, Joe Calzaghe, Elton John, David Beckham, Magaret Thatcher, Eric Clapton, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, Joanna Lumley, Helen Mirren, Gordon Brown, Paul McCartney and many more.

“This fantastic car has been on an amazing journey during our tenth anniversary year,” said Mark Cann, director of the BFF. “It will be a unique addition to any car collection and we’re delighted that Bonhams offered so generously to help us achieve the best bid and raise as much money as we can. The very act of demonstrating support will send a clear message of solidarity to those on the frontline, which will in itself be a significant boost to their morale.”

Proceeds will go to the well-being and esprit de corps of all serving personnel.

To find out more, click here.

British Stars Sing For Palestinian Refugee Children

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Dozens of British celebrities were out in force at the Cafe de Paris in London last night for the annual Hoping’s Got Talent charity karaoke event.

Judged by Kate Moss and X Factor’s Louis Walsh, the event raised money for the Hoping Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to showing Palestinian refugee children that their struggle to transform their lives is encouraged and supported by people in Britain and throughout the rest of the world.

The evening attracted a plethora of British entertainers, including Lily Allen, Guy Ritchie, David Walliams, Jeremy Clarkson, Sienna Miller, Jemima Khan, Will Young, Tracey Emin, Shane MacGowan and socialite Kimberly Stewart. Lost’s Matthew Fox also made an appearance.

Last year’s event raised £319,000 for the charity, and featured Gwyneth Paltrow singing “Killing Me Softly”. 2007’s event featured Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Bryan Adams.

The Hoping Foundation provides grants to community projects working with children in Palestinian refugee camps

Jeremy Clarkson To Host Charity Racing Event

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:00 -0000

It may be a long way in the future, but motoring enthusiasts had better start getting their engines warmed up for an incredible charity racing event to be held in the UK this September.

The Circuit is a new, exclusive event in aid of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's (NSPCC’s) Child’s Voice Appeal, featuring fast cars, professional drivers, celebrities and action-packed racing.

The event is organised by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and ex-F1 driver Mark Blundell, with Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson hosting the lunch break and auction.

In association with Palmer Sport, ‘The Circuit’ will see participants drive six high-performance racing cars around Bedford Autodrome. The cars are the Formula Jaguar, Porche 911 JP3, Palmer Jaguar JP1, Renault Clio Cup Racer, Caterham 7 Superlight and the Jaguar XKR.

It is hoped that the event will raise a minimum of £100,000 for the Child’s Voice Appeal, the NSPCC’s three-year appeal to raise £50 million to maintain and grow the NSPCC’s helplines, text and online counseling services. The Child’s Voice Appeal aims to raise £50m so that the NSPCC’s vital helplines can answer many more cries for help. To date the appeal has raised £13m. The funds will mean that ChildLine’s volunteers can counsel 500,000 more calls every year; children will be able to choose how they access ChildLine’s help – by phone, online or by text; the NSPCC Helpline can grow by over 60% to counsel 18,000 more adults a year who have concerns about a child; and counselors can provide personalized help by email to nearly five times as many concerned adults.

120 participants will be divided into teams of 20, each captained by a professional driver and a celebrity from the world of sport and entertainment. Drivers will have the freedom to push the cars to their maximum limits on four purpose-built tracks. All drivers will also get a memory stick of onboard footage from their every lap in both the Formula Jaguar and the Palmer Jaguar JP1.

The day begins at 08.00 with breakfast and briefings. Racing starts at 09.30 until lunch break where there will be sumptuous food and refreshments, and the chance to bid for exclusive auction prizes. Racing restarts at 14.00 and the day ends at 17.30.

Racing enthusiasts, keen to pit their driving skills against professional drivers, celebrities and other competitors, can purchase tickets for £2,000 by contacting 020 7825 2608 or e-mailing sports-team@nspcc.org.uk . Further information is also available at www.nspcc.org.uk/thecircuit .

Family Fun Days For Everyone This Weekend

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Two charity events are taking place on opposite sides of the Atlantic this weekend.

New Yorkers who want to get on their bikes can join Full Metal Jacket star Matthew Modine on his Bicycle For A Day campaign. The 49-year-old will be among cyclists pedaling off from lower Manhattan’s South Street Seaport on Saturday, September 20, to raise awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions and to demonstrate the many simple things that each of us can do everyday to accomplish a cleaner world.

“The idea behind my project Bicycle for a Day is to help people understand that there is something they can do,” he said. “In fact, just one simple thing they can do every day to become part of the solution. If everybody does this one thing, the cumulative effect could be tremendous. The environmental situation is a great opportunity for us all to work together to find solutions. Bicycle for a Day is just that – citizens of the world joining together globally and acting locally.”

Celebrity supporters of the campaign include Heather Graham, John McEnroe, Lara Flynn Boyle, Liev Schreiber and Liam Neeson, and anybody interested in joining the fun can visit www.bicycleforaday.org for more information.

A day of fun of a different kind is set to take place in the UK on September 21. The Day for Heroes Family Fun Day will go off with a bang in the Detling Show Ground near Maidstone on Sunday, and will feature British boyband McFly.

Celebrities, artists and the military are joining forces to give families a day out to remember, whilst raising essential funds for Help for Heroes. Compered by Cheryl Baker and Shaun Williamson, the day will be packed with entertainment and thrills. A parachute display team of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment will open the show with a spectacular entrance. There will also be 20 free funfair rides – including the ultimate experience reverse bungee power shot – and entertainment including military-based attractions such as aircraft simulators, parachute display teams and a challenging inflatable army assault course.

Help for Heroes was launched in October 2007 in response to the desire of ordinary people to do something practical to help our wounded servicemen and women. Celebrity supporters of the charity include TV show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May (Top Gear), Prince Harry and Prince William, Simon Cowell, and Sharon Osbourne. David Beckham is also a supporter, saying: “I am incredibly proud and grateful for the commitment and work that our armed forces do for our country. I support the campaign fully.”

For ticket information and more information, visit www.dayforheroes.com.

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