Look To The Stars News: Centrepoint

Prince Williams Sleeps on London Street

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:30:00 -0000

Prince William spent a night on the streets of London to better understand what it’s like to be homeless. Temperatures dropped to 25 degrees Fahrenheit while William slept on cardboard boxes in an alley close to the River Thames.

As hard as he may have tried, William stated, “I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London’s streets night after night.”

The chief executive of Centrepoint, Seyi Obakin, accompanied him.

Obakin said, “There was no shielding from the bitter cold or the hard concrete floor or the fear of being accosted by drug dealers, pimps or those out to give homeless people a good kicking. One of the hairiest moments occurred when we were almost run over by a road sweeper which simply didn’t see our small group huddled together, which just goes to show how vulnerable rough sleepers are.”

Centrepoint celebrated their 40th anniversary this year, where Prince William delivered a speech, challenging the organization to redouble its efforts to end youth homelessness. In turn, Obakin challenged him to spend a night on the streets, not expecting William to actually do it.

More than 4,500 people live on the streets of London. His mother, Princess Diana, also supported the charity.

Prince William Treks With The Homeless

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Prince William joined a group of homeless British teenagers last Friday to climb a peak in northern England to raise awareness for two charities he is patron of.

The Prince was joined by six teenagers from Centrepoint, a charity for homeless young people, as they walked up Helvellyn, a mountain in the Cumbria region of northeastern England. The group was also joined by members of Mountain Rescue, a charity that depends on over 3,000 volunteers to carry out rescues in the mountains of England and Wales.

Later in the day, William attended a function for WellChild, a charity that provides care and support for sick children and their families, while leading research into childhood illness and disease.

Prince William Launches Child Bereavement Campaign

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Royal Prince William recently became patron of the Child Bereavement Charity, an organization supported by the late Princess Diana, and spoke about his mother at the launch of the charity’s ‘Remember on Mother’s Day’ campaign at London’s Sladmore Contemporary Art Gallery on Thursday, March 12.

“Losing a close family member is one of the hardest experiences that anyone can endure,” he said at the event. “Never being able to say the word `mummy’ again in your life sounds like a small thing. However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word — hollow and evoking memories. I too have felt – and still feel – the emptiness on such a day as Mother’s Day…. For those who have lost the one they love, rest assured they will be watching over you.”

The Remember on Mother’s Day campaign aims to highlight the importance of Mother’s Day for families which have suffered the loss of a child or a mother, and raise awareness of the difficulties faced by families coping with bereavements. It also asks for people to pause and reflect on people finding the period painful them on the day itself.

Last week’s event launched the charity’s advertising campaign and included an exhibition of drawings and paintings by children from local schools. The Prince met with the founders and staff of the charity, as well as with people who were grieving the lose of family members.

“I cannot even begin to say how delighted we are that Prince William has agreed to be our Patron,” said Julia Samuel, Founder Patron of the Child Bereavement Charity. “It will make a huge difference to raising awareness of the charity and its work in supporting families and professionals when the unthinkable happens – when a parent has a child die or when a child is bereaved of a parent or sibling.”

The Child Bereavement Charity provides support and information to all affected by the death of a baby or child or when children are bereaved and accessible training for the professionals who work with these families and children. Established in 1994, the charity’s vision is for all bereaved children and grieving families to have access to relevant support and information from appropriately trained professionals.

Also last week, Prince William attended a dinner for Centrepoint, the UK’s leading homeless youth charity. Alongside BBC television and radio presenter Kirsty Young, The Bill actress Lisa Maxwell and radio DJ Sara Cox, the Prince helped to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization, of which he has been a patron since 2005.

“My brother and I were lucky enough to grow up supported by the love and nurturing of our family,” he told guests. “They saw to our education, our health, our well-being, and every other need. So many young people have none of this. It is for them that Centrepoint represents the difference between misery and dejection and a sense of hope and renewed self-confidence.”

Jamie Oliver's Charity Dinner Raises £225,000

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:17:11 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver hosted his Fifteen Foundation’s annual fund-raising dinner in London on December 5th, raising £225,000 ($457,000) to help train unemployed youths for careers in the restaurant business.

Disadvantaged would-be chefs are taught the trade in the Foundation’s “Fifteen” restaurants located in London, Amsterdam, Melbourne and western England.

“We’re trying to build a training kitchen above Fifteen to help the local community, and we’d like to increase the number of apprentices each year to 45 from about 20 to 25,” Oliver told Bloomberg before the event.

“We need a lot of dosh but it’s not only about the money. This is a chance for us to tell high- profile people what we’re trying to do. We’re helping kids from tough backgrounds and events like this help us to get to the next level.’’

Entertainment for the event was provided by ex-Boyzone singer Ronan Keating.

“Jamie’s a good friend of mine and I’m delighted to be here,‘’ Keating, said. "With him, it’s not about fame, it’s not about celebrity, it’s about helping people."

Fifteen Foundation apprentices prepared a sumptuous meal for the event. One trainee, 21-year-old Portia Eyeson, said "Fifteen has been very good for me. I heard about it through the Centrepoint hostel for the homeless."

Elton John, P. Diddy and Andrew Lloyd-Webber to Celebrate Life of Princess Diana

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 21:03:21 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

This Sunday, July 1st, music will fill the skies in remembrance of Princess Diana. The event was organised by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry to celebrate her life, ten years after her death.

Concert For Diana will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, and is showcasing a wide variety of musical styles, from Andrew Lloyd-Webber to P. Diddy. Legends Elton John, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones will be joined by the likes of Joss Stone, Nelly Furtado, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and James Morrison.

Many more performances will take place during the 8-hour-long event, including those by Duran Duran, Take That, Lily Allen and the English National Ballet.

Proceeds of the event go to charities which were supported by the Princess, and to charities of which her sons are now Patrons. These include: The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, Centrepoint, Sentebale, National AIDS Trust, The Leprosy Mission, the Royal Marsden Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital and the English National Ballet.

Tickets cost £45, but those who cannot make it to the concert can view it online at the Concert For Diana website.

2007 Princess Diana Charity Concert Sells Out - For Now

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 20:24:10 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Earlier this month, Princes William and Harry announced that they would hold a charity concert in 2007 to commemorate what would have been their mother’s 46th birthday. Taking place at London’s famous Wembley football stadium, all available tickets for the concert have now sold out.

Performers including Elton John, singer Joss Stone, Diana’s favourite band Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry, the English National Ballet, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams will appear at the event on 1st July.

Speaking for himself and his brother, Prince William said, “We both wanted to put our stamp on it. We want it to represent exactly what our mother would have wanted.”

Proceeds from the concert will benefit a number of charities that received support from the princess during her life, and two of the princes’ own charities, Centrepoint and Sentebale.

Sir Elton John said: "I applaud Princes William and Harry for choosing to honour their mother with this concert. I am absolutely thrilled to be performing at this great event.

“Diana was a personal friend and someone I greatly admired for her tireless and enthusiastic work for charity.”

More tickets for the event are expected to be released in 2007, and will be available from www.concertfordiana.com.

Look To The Stars News: Centrepoint

Prince Williams Sleeps on London Street

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Prince William Treks With The Homeless

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