Look To The Stars News: Rays of Sunshine

Emma Thompson Makes Dream Come True

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

British actress Emma Thompson made a young girl’s dream come true last week.

Isabelle Brown is a 13-year-old cystic fibrosis sufferer who got to spend a day on the set of the upcoming sequel to Nanny McPhee with the Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter.

The teenager was nominated for the treat by the Great Ormond Street Hospital – where she receives treatment – and the trip was organized by Rays of Sunshine, a charity that makes wishes come true for terminally and seriously ill children between the ages of 3-18 in the United Kingdom. Rays of Sunshine also buys vitally needed equipment for those children, and supports the hospitals, hospices and specialist schools that care for them by purchasing equipment and funding capital projects.

More information about the charity can be found here.

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.

New Children's Poetry Competition Raises Money For Charity

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An exciting new poetry competition for school children will see the literary works of 96 youngsters published alongside the efforts of a range of stars.

The 2nd annual Pound A Poem competition will raise funds for Rays of Sunshine, a charity that makes wishes come true for terminally and seriously ill children between the ages of 3-18 in the United Kingdom. The competition – which promotes literacy, healthy eating, and celebrates good citizenship – is open to children aged 5-11, in school years 1 to 6, and costs £1 per entry. The theme is “fruit and vegetables”, and the 96 winning entries will appear in the Pound a Poem book alongside poetry from celebrities including Piers Morgan, Julie Christie, Darcy Bussell, and Dermot O’Leary.

The poems will also be judged by celebrities, including TV personality Esther Rantzen, children’s authors Jacqueline Wilson, Annabel Karmel and Dan Freedman, presenter Dom Wood, actress Tracy Ann Oberman, and comedian James Campbell.

Based on last year’s competition, organizers believe they will make over $12,000 for the UK based charity to spend on children’s wishes, equipment, and hospital funding.

The overall winner will win a week’s holiday for four to Barbados, with their school receiving £1000 to spend on equipment. More information can be found at www.poundapoem.co.uk.

Look To The Stars News: Rays of Sunshine

Emma Thompson Makes Dream Come True

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Give Landmines The Boot With Charity Auction

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