Look To The Stars News: Gordon Brown

Naomi Campbell To Be Honored At Charity Angel Ball

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Naomi Campbell will be honoured for her charity work, specifically concerning cancer research.

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research will be hosting the annual Angel Ball on 17 October at Cipriani Wall Street, where they also plan to honour artist Romero Britto, Vladislav Doronin who founded the Capital Group and Dr. Khalid Bin Jabor Al-Thani who founded the Quatar National Cancer Society.

Naomi’s work has already earned her an ELLE award in 2009 for outstanding charity work, mostly in relation to her fund-raising for the White Ribbon Alliance. She regularly teams up with designers and fashion labels, such as Luis Vuitton and Hermes to raise both awareness and funds for charities and is an ardent believer in using her celebrity for good. Although she had been ‘quietly helping charities [she] believed in for years’, her charity work came into the spotlight when Sarah Brown, Gordon Brown the then prime-minister’s wife, asked her to be an ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance. She has also helped organise fashion charity campaigns such as Vivienne Westwood’s Fashion Relief campaign.

Stars To Celebrate Global Health Achievements

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Richard Branson, Ted Turner, Sarah Jessica Parker, George Soros, Gordon Brown and many more will come together this week to celebrate global health achievements.

The 2011 Global Business Coalition Conference and Gala Awards Dinner rolls out the red carpet on June 2, bringing together major celebrities, heads of state, big-name CEOs, and more for our most memorable evening yet. Actor, comedian and activist Whoopi Goldberg will host an evening that includes honoring two of GBC’s visionary founding supporters—George Soros and Ted Turner—and celebrates the power of business to create positive change on global health. Gordon and Sarah Brown will be recognized for their years of work and leadership addressing international health concerns, and we will pay special tribute to GBC’s founding CEO and leader, Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke.

With Sigourney Weaver and Kim Cattrall on hand to present awards to George Soros and the Browns, and a stellar evening of musical performances from acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician, Natalie Merchant, and top South African musicians, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Vusi Mahlasela, June 2 with GBC is sure to be an unforgettable night!

Unsung Children's Champions Honored At Celebrity Charity Awards

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

A host of British stars – including Simon Cowell, James Corden and Davina McCall – were spotted out-and-about at a special charity event in London last night to honor some unsung children’s champions.

With performances by Alexandra Burke and Peter André, The News Of The World Children’s Champions Awards 2011 honored those people – voted by the public – who have done a brilliant, unsung job for children.

In association with Barnardo’s and The Post Office, judges included Manchester United and England giant Rio Ferdinand, Gavin and Stacey star James Corden , singer and I’m A Celeb favourite Stacey Solomon, pop pin-up Peter Andre, BBC sports icon Gary Lineker, Dancing on Ice judge and former Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Olympic supremo Lord Sebastian Coe.

Celebrity Red Noses Raise Record Amount For Charity

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Comic Relief delivered another spectacular evening of top TV treats in the UK on Friday, as Red Nose Day 2011 entertained the nation while raising an incredible sum of money to help poor and vulnerable people in the UK and Africa. The TV event raised £74,360,207 (US$118 million) – the highest total reached on the night in Red Nose Day’s 23 year history.

“This is more than we ever believed we would raise,” said organizer Richard Curtis. “The generosity of the British public is staggering.”

The TV extravaganza featured appearances by Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, David Tennant and Susan Boyle.

The Jade Goody Effect: Research Into Celebrity Charity Support

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Researchers at Bath Spa University are teaming up with a national cancer charity to investigate how young women responded to the media coverage of Jade Goody’s death from cervical cancer.

Jade Goody shot to fame after appearing as a contestant on the Channel 4 reality TV show Big Brother. She became even more of a celebrity after being diagnosed with cervical cancer and marrying her fiance shortly before she died from the disease in March 2009.

At the time the charity Cancer Research UK praised Jade for her work to raise awareness, in her final months, of the importance of cervical screening. Even the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he was deeply saddened by her death.

Stars Back Campaign To Find Missing Girl

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Several celebrities have taken to Twitter to help raise awareness of a 14-year-old girl missing in London.

Serena Beakhurst was last seen after catching a bus to attend a beauty course in Tooting on December 15.

Christy Turlington Blogs Charity

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Women Deliver, an international conference addressing women’s health issues, is currently on in Washington. Among the many stars to be part of the conference is Christy Turlington, who has blogged about the importance of the conference.

“This week, nearly 3,000 people from more than 140 countries are gathering in downtown Washington D.C. as part of the world’s largest international meeting of women’s health and empowerment champions — the Women Deliver Conference,” wrote the model in the Huffington Post. "At this critical time, these passionate and committed advocates are here to deliver a message that sustainable development around the globe can only be achieved if we prevent maternal deaths.

“After the last Women Deliver Conference in 2007, I had my second child, traveled abroad to Peru with CARE as their Advocate for Maternal Health, and set out to make a documentary film about maternal mortality first-hand that hundreds of thousands of women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications, making reproductive health problems the leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 15 to 44; yet strikingly, experts estimate that 90% of these are preventable. The impact extends beyond individual lives. In fact each year millions of children are orphaned, and motherless children are twice as likely to die before the age of five. Economies suffer as well, with an estimated $15 billion lost in productivity each year

Stars Announced For Idol Gives Back

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Emmy Award-winning Idol Gives Back welcomes Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, The Black Eyed Peas, Annie Lennox and Jeff Beck as performers on this year’s event, airing Wednesday, April 21.

The brainchild of Simon Fuller, Idol Gives Back has made history by raising over $140 million for charity to date. This year’s special will help raise awareness and funds to benefit various U.S. and international charities, including Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More, Save the Children’s U.S. Programs and the United Nations Foundation. Viewers will once again be able to make donations during and following the show. In addition, the week’s voting results will be revealed, sending one of the finalists home.

So far this year, Jennifer Garner has already recorded a segment, and David Cook has visited Ethiopia for the show.

Stars Urge For Maternal Health In Amnesty Film

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Celebrities including Keira Knightley, Annie Lennox, James Purefoy and Beverley Knight have called on the UK Government to make maternal and newborn health a priority in its international development assistance in a new short film released by Amnesty International yesterday (12 March).

The film, which premiered in the Houses of Parliament, is part of Amnesty’s campaign to ensure the UK government prioritizes maternal and newborn health care globally to enable all women access their basic right to health care. Entitled ‘Every day should be Mother’s Day’, the three-minute, star-studded film also features Dervla Kirwan, Colin Salmon and Jonathan Pryce.

“We’re delighted that so many celebrated artists are willing to stand with us on this very important matter,” said Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen. "We want the government to maintain a strong political will to improve maternal health around the world.

Celebrity Love Tokens To Be Auctioned For Charity

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

A British charity that works with vulnerable children and their families is to launch a celebrity charity auction this month featuring “love tokens” from some big stars.

Over 50 celebrities have donated items to the auction, including Annie Lennox, The Who, Lulu, Joanna Lumley, Jeremy Irons, Ian Rankin, Jason Donovan, Jacqueline Wilson, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Jo Whiley, Jason Durr, Sebastian Faulks, Gordon Brown and Stephen Fry.

The auction has been organized by charity Coram, which has been working with disadvantaged children since 1739 when Thomas Coram established the Foundling Hospital, to care for abandoned babies dying on the streets of London.

LTTS Exclusive - The Sugababes Help Fight Cervical Cancer In Style

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

LookToTheStars.org UK Correspondent Richard Barker was extremely fortunate to recently attend a special event in London with his good friend Hayley Mac (Miss United Kingdom and Miss Galaxy 2010), where celebrities and young women helped to raise awareness about Cervical Cancer. He filed this exclusive report and photos.

Celebrities from the worlds of fashion and music joined forces on 27/01/2010 for one night only to put on a one-off exclusive music and fashion event in support of Fight Cervical Cancer in Style, a national campaign to educate girls and women about cervical cancer so they can better understand their risk and how to reduce it. The campaign, developed by GlaxoSmithKline, is being run in association with Jo’s Trust, the UK charity dedicated to cervical cancer, and is supported by the Royal College of Nursing and Wellbeing of Women.

British Stars Contribute To Alzheimer's Wall Of Memories

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:30:00 +0000

The British prime minister has joined some of the UK’s favorite famous faces in contributing to a special memory wall for the Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The wall features special memories from members of the public to draw attention to the condition and the charity, which aims to find treatments for Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Prime minister Gordon Brown has contributed his memories of watching Scotland play Brazil in the 1982 World Cup, while Discworld author Sir Terry Pratchett – who suffers from Alzheimer’s – wrote: “The day my daughter was born. The elation – nothing could’ve gone wrong that night. I’d hate to lose that memory.”

Simon Cowell Brings Stars Together For Charity Single

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and The Sun newspaper have asked Simon Cowell, the brains behind “American Idol” and “X Factor,” to orchestrate a single that will benefit the earthquake victims of Haiti.

Cowell immediately got busy, and he has so far assembled an all-star cast that includes Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Susan Boyle, JLS and Cheryl Cole to record a remake of REM’s “Everybody Hurts.” Cowell has also approached Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, both of whom are very close to signing on.

Cowell reveals, “We haven’t got an awful lot of time, but we are going to do something and attempt to raise as much money as possible”.

Aung San Suu Kyi Receives Unanimous Support

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi received her sentencing last week: 18 more months of house arrest for breaking the terms of her current detention when she allowed a stranger into her home for two days to recover from swimming across a lake to her property.

The outrage at the verdict is unanimous amongst western world leaders:

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "I am both saddened and angry at the verdict today, 11 August, following the sham trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. The news – that she has been found guilty and sentenced to three years hard labour but that this has been “mitigated” to a suspended sentence of 1.5 years under house arrest – is further proof that the military regime in Burma is determined to act with total disregard for accepted standards of the rule of law and in defiance of international opinion. This is a purely political sentence designed to prevent her from taking part in the regime’s planned elections next year."

Gordon Brown On State-of-the-Art Problem Solving

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees modern communication technology as a part of the answer to addressing world problems. A surprise speaker last month at a TED conference in the UK, Prime Minister Brown said that the ability to communicate across the world instantaneously is a tool that can link moral obligations, especially with pictures.

“What we see unlocks what we cannot see,” he said at the conference. "What we see unlocks the invisible ties and bonds of sympathy that bring us together to become a human community. We do feel the pain of others, however distantly. We do believe in something bigger than ourselves.

“There is a moral sense across all religions, across all faiths, across all continents – a moral sense that not only do we share the pain of others and believe in something bigger than ourselves, but we have a duty to act when we see things that are wrong that need righted, see injuries that need to be corrected, see problems that need to be rectified.”

Stars Sign Mini For British Forces Morale

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

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.”

Geri Halliwell Presents Childbirth Report To Government

Fri, 08 May 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has launched a campaign to help provide better care for women during childbirth.

Halliwell joined Sarah Brown – wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – at the UK’s House of Commons on Wednesday, May 6, to highlight a new parliamentary report which claims up to 20 million women suffer serious injuries during the birth process each year.

“Women are at the heart of their families, communities and countries,” she said. “Their health and survival has a huge impact on the economy and the environment, and on peace and stability. This is not about charity – this is about humanity.”

David Beckham Kicks Malaria Out

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Malaria No More UK, the British extension of a US charity that aims to prevent millions of deaths worldwide, has attracted the support of David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis, who have been named as members of the leadership council of the new campaign.

The trio met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week to ensure the Government makes good on their promise to deliver 20 million life-saving malaria nets to Africa by next year. Since Brown’s pledge a year ago, the UK has delivered about 9.7 million nets to Africa, and a further 1.9 million are on order.

“It’s truly incredible to think we can stop this killer disease forever and it’s such a simple thing to do. For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying,” said Beckham, “I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more.”

Celebrity Clothes Get Ripped For Charity

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000

A new fashion initiative with a difference has been launched – featuring the shredded old clothes of celebrities – to raise money for charity and persuade people in the UK to recycle their unwanted threads.

Kate Winslet’s suit, Twiggy’s jeans, and boxer Ricky Hatton’s favorite football shirt are some of the celebrity clothes that have been cut up and customized by young volunteers to create Fashion Favours, a project that aims to highlight the issues surrounding throwaway clothing.

The items that have been created will be auctioned on www.fashionfavours.com, and will also be part of a huge fashion show being held in London on World AIDS Day on December 1. Proceeds from the auction and the show will go to Body and Soul, a charity that works with young people affected by HIV in the UK.

X Factor Charity Single Stays At The Top

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000

A remake of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ by finalists in this year’s X Factor competition has topped the British music charts for the second week in a row.

As reported earlier, the track was recorded to benefit Help for Heroes, which provides support for wounded servicemen and women, and the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

“We’re doing this for one simple reason,” said Simon Cowell, who is behind the single’s release. “These are decent people who need a bit of help, a bit of support and all the proceeds of this record will go to these guys.”

Shilpa Shetty Auctions Kisses For Charity

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty won a Global Diversity Award 2008 last week for making a significant contribution to the understanding of diversity, and helped raise $126,000 for charity by auctioning a kiss.

The 32-year-old Indian beauty attended last week’s Silver Star gala in London, and was awarded with the charity’s prestigious Global Diversity Award, along with Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton. The gala included a dinner and auction to raise money for the Silver Star Foundation, a British-based diabetes charity that runs mobile diabetes assessment units. Launched by Labour MP Keith Vaz last year when he was diagnosed as a diabetes patient, the charity plans to buy their third mobile unit with the money raised from the gala.

As well as a chance to dine with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the auction included a number of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. But it was Shetty’s impromptu announcement to auction a kiss to the highest bidder that raised the most interest, with one fan forking out $25,000 for the honor.

Bono Calls For United States Of Africa

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:38:00 +0000

Pop star and activist Bono has called for the creation of a United States of Africa as a way of solving the continent’s conflicts and problems.

The U2 singer made the statement while in Japan for a major development conference last week. The 48-year-old said that developing a broader identity may seem “poetic,” but has proven successful in the past.

“Irish people used to always have a little giggle when they would see Americans saluting their flags in schools, and then the whole standing there, singing the flag thing,” he said. “But as you get to know a little bit more about things, you start to think, ah, there’s so many different tribal groups in the United States, that to create a national identity of that size, they had to really work at this kind of patriotism.”

Shakira Promotes Global Campaign For Education Action

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:24:54 +0000

Pop sensation Shakira was in Washington D.C. yesterday (April 22) to promote the Global Campaign for Education “Action Week”, which runs from April 21-27. As the group’s honorary spokesperson, she appeared with members of Congress along with students from across the United States to promote the Education for All Act of 2007. This legislation will raise up to $3 billion by 2012 for the basic education globally for the 77 million disadvantaged primary school age children who are out of school.

“Universal education isn’t about charity – it’s about investment,” said 31-year-old singer. “By providing vulnerable children with a basic education we can create a better, safer world.”

Shakira was praised by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on April 21 by telephone for her work to help raise the need for educating disadvantaged children. Shakira also praised Brown, who as British Treasury Chief in 2006 pledged $15 billion over 10 years for education in the developing world.

Artists Create Celebrity Easter Eggs

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:11:45 +0000

What do two graffiti-style artists, a tattooist, a fashion designer and a patissier all have in common? They have all joined with British chocolatiers Thornton’s to create special Easter Eggs for an auction benefitting Barnardo’s.

Art and design duo Id-Iom hand-painted the likenesses of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Victoria Beckham, David Beckham, singer Lily Allen, and Prince Harry on their lot, while fashion designer Henry Holland used purple, pink, yellow, green, and turquoise icing to decorate a 1kg chocolate egg. Eric Lanlard, famous for creating Madonna’s wedding cake and Brooklyn Beckham’s first birthday cake, turned his hand from cakes to chocolate for his edible work of art. Tattooist to the stars Louis Molloy, whose impressive client list includes David Beckham, created a design incorporating swallows and bluebirds.

The eggs are currently available on eBay, and will help Barnardo’s continue it’s mission to ensure that all all children and young people are free from poverty, abuse and discrimination.

Stars Gather For Cystic Fibrosis Benefit

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:15:01 +0000

A cold London night was made a little warmer on Thursday, when a host of stars came out to raise money for sufferers of a chronic genetic disease.

The “Liv” Gala and Auction was held on January 31, with 420 guests paying up to $2,500 to attend the black tie event. The evening, which included performances by British comedians David Walliams, Matt Lucas, and Jimmy Carr, rasied over $4 million, with proceeds to be split between the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in England and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in America.

Last minute schedule changes by soccer club Barcelona FC meant that host Thierry Henry was unable to attend, but he thrilled the audience by appearing via live video when his match finished. However, English International players Peter Crouch and John Terry did attend, and they were joined by singer Natalie Imbruglia, photographer Sam Taylor-Wood, and British television hosts Trinny Woodall and Davina McCall. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose youngest son suffers from cystic fibrosis, also attended the gala.