Look To The Stars News: Frederick Forsyth

Stars Pushing the Envelope for Literacy

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:25:00 -0000

Today is the final day to bid on celebrity-designed, one-of-a-kind envelopes while helping to transform lives through literacy.

Over 100 celebrities, including Zoë Wanamaker, Sir Ian McKellen, Sadie Frost, Amir Khan and Dame Shirley Bassey have decorated envelopes for the Pushing the Envelope campaign in association with Pitney Bowes and the National Literacy Trust.

Dame Helen Mirren’s envelope

Over the last six years, the campaign has raised £65,000 ($107,000) to support literacy programs across the UK, helping people with poor reading and writing skills gain confidence and a chance for better employment and opportunities.

Some of the other celebrities taking part this year include Dame Helen Mirren, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Fearne Cotton, Samantha Fox and Frederick Forsyth.

To view the all of the designs, visit the Pushing the Envelope website. The auction is being held on eBay.co.uk.

British Stars Sign Favorite Books For Africa

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Some of Britain’s best loved stars have signed editions of their favorite books for a new charity auction.

Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley, and Ian McKellen are amongst the celebrities to sign the books, which cover a wide variety of genres.

“Education offers a route out of poverty and books are the foundation of lifelong learning, yet the majority of people in Africa cannot afford books of their own,” said Lesley Pinder, Book Aid International spokeswoman. “The proceeds from this online auction will help Book Aid International support reading and learning in some of the world’s poorest countries by getting books into libraries, universities, hospitals and refugee camps.”

The range of books chosen as favorites by the stars is vast and revealing. Mirren has signed Suite Francais by Irene Nemirovsky, Sir David Jason has chosen Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows – which he voiced for a BBC series in the 1980s – and Gary Lineker has inscribed A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein. Joanna Lumley has chosen Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, while Robbie Coltrane has signed Huckleberry Finn. Other names to take part include Twiggy, Alexander McCall Smith, Alan Rickman, Sue Townsend, Frederick Forsyth, Tim Rice, and Julian Fellowes.

Book Aid International is a non-profit organization that sends over half a million books to sub-Saharan Africa every year to support literacy, education and development. The books are almost always new books donated by UK publishers, and are distributed to national libraries, local and regional libraries, community libraries, schools, prisons, refugee camps, and NGO resource centers in 12 African countries. They also provide grants for purchasing books locally (especially those in local languages), and training and advice to ensure that books are targeted to the right groups of people and are well used.

The auction runs until October 27, and can be accessed through eBay.

Lap Of Honour To Support British Forces

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

A Mini is being driven around the UK in support of the British Forces Foundation, collecting the signatures of 50 top British celebrities.

The car began its 10-month-long “Lap of Honour” journey on June 11, with an inaugural signature from opera star Katherine Jenkins, and has so far collected further signatures from Hugh Grant, Michael Caine, author Frederick Forsyth, Dame Judi Dench and James Blunt.

The Lap of Honour will culminate in the BFF’s 10th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall next April. The concert line-up will feature the stars who have entertained British troops overseas, including Blunt, Jenkins and seasoned rockers Status Quo.

Following the concert, the car and an accompanying signed photo album will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Foundation.

Look To The Stars News: Frederick Forsyth

Stars Pushing the Envelope for Literacy

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British Stars Sign Favorite Books For Africa

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Lap Of Honour To Support British Forces

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