Look To The Stars News: Caudwell Children

LTTS Exclusive - The Caudwell Children Butterfly Ball

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Look To The Stars’ UK Correspondent, Richard Barker, attended the Caudwell Children Ball last weekend and filed this exclusive report.

As a photographer and a journalist, I am fortunate enough to have many unique experiences, and I’m pleased to say that on Friday night was one of the best!

Archant London hosted a Press Ball for Caudwell Children. The Butterfly Ball at the Landmark Hotel in London’s Regent Park was attended by some truly inspiring people. Archant London’s Managing Director, Enzo Testa, welcomed the guests telling them though financial conditions were tough, he was confident that by their very presence, their generosity would produce a wealth of cash for the children, and so it proved.

  Archant London publishes 29 weekly newspapers and 28 local community websites. With this sort of pulling power it’s not surprising that the auction prizes were donated by Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and a one off designer dress from Jenny Packham. The top raffle prize was a diamond encrusted Rotary watch.

  Caudwell Children, founded in 2000 by entrepreneur John Caudwell, has so far raised more then £10 million. Every penny has gone straight to the children! John picked up the tab for the administration, which is one of the reasons the charity was chosen by Enzo Testa.  

He said: "Caudwell Children helps children with terminal illnesses who need support. Every penny we raise goes directly to helping Caudwell do just that. That is why I chose this worthy cause as Archant London’s focus for our Butterfly Ball.

“  To achieve the total, a team from Archant London spent a full year organising and collecting prizes and gifts.  

Actress Lucinda Rhodes and X Factor singer Andy Abraham donated their time and provided the cabaret with popular broadcaster Mike Read hosting the evening. Other celebrities to attend included Miss England 2009 Rachel Christie, Miss Galaxy International 2010 Hayley Mac, Lynne Franks of I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here fame and leading PR expert, Lisa Voice self made music and property millionaire and girlfriend of the late 50’s rock legend, Billy Fury, Esther McVery presenter, Karen Millen designer and performer Sonique.  

The dress donated by designer Jenny Peckham went for £1,400 and a signed Michael Jackson display containing a platinum disc went for £1,500. Mohamed Ali’s signed boxing trunks were sold for £2,100. The top prize of the night was a lithograph by legendary artist Pablo Picasso from his Sketchbook collection that eventually sold for £3,000.

I sat with Hayley Mac (Miss Galaxy 2010). She told me that it was a pleasure to be supporting such a worthy cause. She’s very passionate about her charity work. Hayley said that she was really pleased that we were raising funds for the kids. She also said that she would love to meet them. We both agreed that there wellbeing is incredibly important.

  Chief Executive of Caudwell Children, Trudi Beswick thanked Enzo Testa and Archant London for their commitment and for organising the event. She also thanked the many sponsors of the evening by highlighting some of the individual cases where the charity has brought life and fulfilled ambitions.  

Many children they help are terribly afflicted by disease and life threatening illnesses, and the charity supplies the means to achieve their ambitions and restore dignity to illness devastated young lives.  

She emphasised that every penny goes to helping them achieve ambitions such as just walking or going on a family holiday.  

She said: “I am looking forward to meeting Daniel. He is only 10 and suffers from Leukaemia. He was not given much hope of survival and indeed suffered a stroke from which he was not expected to live through. But against all the odds Daniel fought back and has survived, and in November his ambition will come true. We are taking him and his family to Disneyland in America. His life expectancy is very short, but we are pleased to help fulfil this determined young man’s wishes.”

  The battle to help these children continues and as Archant London’s chosen charity, readers can make their own donation on www.justgiving.com/archantappeal or by posting a cheque to Archant Appeal, Media House, 539 High Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1UD. For more details speak to Claire Evans – 020 8477 3939 claire.evans@archant.co.uk

To date Caudwell Children has donated over £10 million to thousands of children with 160 medical conditions. The Charity is committed to changing the lives of children by providing individual donations of specialist equipment, treatment and therapy as well as its annual Destination Dreams holiday for families coping with a child’s terminal illness.

Caudwell Children was registered in March 2000 and is widely recognised as one of the country’s fastest growing children’s charities. Since its inception the charity has doubled every pound raised, achieved through supplier partnerships, which means every pound donated works even harder.

The Charity was founded by entrepreneur, John Caudwell, whose vision was to create a sustainable children’s charity that offered benefactors’ transparency and piece of mind that 100% of their donation was being used to directly change children’s lives.

By donating the cost of the Charity’s annual management and administration overheads, John has guaranteed an efficient way for individuals and businesses to change the lives of thousands of sick and disabled children living in the UK.

John Caudwell remains the Charity’s largest benefactor and sits as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The Charity’s ambassadors include Hollywood actress and author, Joan Collins, actress Elizabeth Hurley, Rod and Penny Stewart, Bruce Forsyth and singer Robbie Williams.

Charity Thanks Boyzone Fans For Donations

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0000

The head of a national British charity has spoken out in praise of the thousands of fans who have made donations in memory of the late Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately.

Trudi Beswick, Chief Executive of Caudwell Children, for whom Stephen was a Goodwill Ambassador, said: “Everyone at the Charity is deeply touched and grateful for the overwhelming volume of fans and well wishers who have made donations in memory of Stephen.”

“This outpouring of kindness truly reflects Stephen as a person, someone who always wanted to help and please others. With heartfelt tributes and donations continuing to come into the Charity, Stephen’s memory will now live on in the life changing donations we are able to make to children who desperately need our help.”

The national charity, which provides specialist equipment, life saving treatments and therapy for sick and disabled children, was chosen by Stephen’s partner, Andrew Cowles to receive donations instead of flowers following his death.

Since the announcement, the Charity has received over £22,000 in donations from fans, friends and well wishers of the star. Every penny of the money received will be used to pay for donations to children living in the UK.

As a couple, Stephen and Andrew had attended numerous events in support of the Charity and Stephen had been officially named as a Goodwill Ambassador last year in recognition of the work he had done.

The singer, who tragically died while on holiday in Majorca, was also a close personal friend of the Charity’s founder, philanthropist John Caudwell and partner, Claire.

The Charity is now in talks about a potential memorial for the singer and has confirmed that he will remain a Goodwill Ambassador for the Charity in memory of his work.

Mrs Beswick continued: “My heartfelt thanks go to everyone, right across the World, who has sent a message of support or donation to the Charity. It is a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.”

For more information about the work of Caudwell Children visit www.caudwellchildren.com or telephone 0845 300 1348.

Fans Remember Boyzone Star By Giving To Charity

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, who died last week, have donated over $15,000 to a British children’s charity in his memory.

 Gately was a Goodwill Ambassador for Caudwell Children, a charity that focuses on donations to special children for medical treatment, therapy, specialized equipment, and dying wish holidays. Gately’s husband Andrew Cowles had requested that in lieu of flowers, fans could donate to his favourite charity.  

“It’s an amazing gesture for the charity and it sums up Stephen – he always thought of others first,” said charity spokesperson Trudi Beswick. “We’re already up to an amazing amount and hopefully we can buy wheelchairs and equipment and therapy for kids. It’ll be a lovely memory for everybody to remember him by. He was a fantastic goodwill ambassador for us. We really want to give feedback to everyone – to everyone that’s supported us, to Andrew, the family and everyone in Boyzone and thank them by showing them the children we’ve helped in a couple of months time.”

Gately’s funeral was attended by bandmates Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, as well as many others. Messages of support were read out from George Michael, David and Victoria Beckham, Take That, U2 and Colin Farrell.

Gately was also an ambassador for British charity Missing People.

Young Girls Help To Raise Millions At Butterfly Ball

Mon, 18 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Richard Barker

Caudwell Children hosted a star-studded Butterfly Ball at Battersea Evolution on Thursday, May 14th, which raised a record breaking £1.7 million ($2.58 million) for the charity.

Numerous celebrities attended the event including Rachel Stevens and Elizabeth Hurley, and Rod Stewart performed some of his greatest hits during an hour-long set.

Elizabeth Hurley

Founder John Caudwell and his partner Claire Johnson

Actress, model Emma Noble

Famous guests paid thousands of pounds in a “Destination Dreams” auction, with the money going to fund holidays for sick and disabled children and their families.

Auction highlights included a week-long stay on Richard Branson’s Necker Island resort, which raised £50,000 and a bespoke diamond encrusted Mark Wilkinson jewellery case in the shape of Marilyn Monroe, which raised £90,000. A round of golf with Bruce Forsyth went for £40,000, an opportunity to meet Rod Stewart sold for £18,000 and the WBO Championship Belt from the 1993 fight between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank raised £25,000.

The real stars on the night, though, were nine-year-old Tilly Griffiths, who has spinal muscular atrophy disease and her sister Candice, 11, from Cheddleton, Staffordshire.

The Butterfly Ball was named as a dedication to Tilly, who created a special picture for last year’s ball with Candice. The painting was auctioned and raised £340,000. This year someone paid £860,000 for a new painting by the heroic sisters. Look To The Stars salutes these inspiring young fundraisers.

Photos copyright Richard Barker

Rod Stewart To Headline Butterfly Ball

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:29:00 -0000

A host of celebrity guests are slated to attend the glamorous Butterfly Ball in London this month, raising money for sick and disabled children in the UK.

Guests including the Charity’s Ambassador, Elizabeth Hurley, Danny Cipriani, Kelly Brook, Rachel Stevens, Ronan Keating and Bruce Forsyth are all expected to attend the annual Caudwell Children fundraiser.

Caudwell Children is the charity founded by Staffordshire entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist, John Caudwell, who personally funds all of the Charity’s administration and management costs, allowing every penny raised to be donated directly to the children.

In previous years, the annual fundraising event has been headlined by global superstars including Tina Turner and Whitney Houston, with this year being no different, as guests are set to enjoy an exclusive performance from British singer songwriter, Rod Stewart.

The generous singer, famed for hits including Maggie May, You Wear It Well and Sailing, has agreed to donate his appearance and perform at the ‘Butterfly Ball’ after learning about the work of the charity.

The exclusive performance at London’s Battersea Evolution on May 14th, will be in front of an impressive guest list of celebrities and charity supporters and will be the first performance in England by Stewart since appearing at the Princess Diana memorial concert at Wembley Stadium in 2007.

The high-profile fundraising event has become a landmark feature on the London social calendar, and has been successful in raising millions to provide vital specialist equipment, treatments and therapy for thousands of sick and disabled children living in the UK.

Mr Caudwell commented; “The Butterfly Ball is our flagship fundraising event and we are delighted so many guests have agreed to support us once again. It is set to be yet another electrifying night and the money raised will all go to support children who desperately need our help.”

In 2008 celebrity guests including Joan Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Kelly Rowland, Louis Walsh and David Furnish attended what is fast becoming the most anticipated charity event of the year and joined in raising a staggering £1.5million for the charity.

Caudwell Children is a UK charity based in Staffordshire that provides direct donations of treatments, therapies and specialist equipment throughout the UK. To date the charity has donated over £10 million to thousands of children with over 160 different medical conditions.

Details about the glamorous event are available by visiting www.caudwellchildrenbutterflyball.co.uk or by calling the charity on 01782 600113.

About The Butterfly Ball
Earlier this year Caudwell Children announced that their flagship fundraising event, formerly known as ‘The Legends Ball’ and ‘The Bedrock Ball’, had been renamed ‘The Butterfly Ball’ in honour of charity beneficiary, 8-year-old Tilly Griffiths who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and raised thousands of pounds for the charity by auctioning a handmade picture. It was at the 2008 Battersea event that Tilly Griffiths presented her magical handmade picture depicting the Caudwell Children mascot releasing butterflies into the air. The artwork was then auctioned in front of the 900 guests, touching the hearts of the audience and raising a staggering £340,000.

About Caudwell Children
To date Caudwell Children has donated over £10 million to thousands of children with 160 medical conditions

Founder and Chairman John Caudwell has been committed to raising vitally needed funds for children in desperate need since the mid 1990s. Caudwell Children was registered in March 2000 is widely recognised as one of the country’s fastest growing children’s charities. In 2007 the charity doubled every pound raised, achieved through partnerships, negotiation and intangible income, which means every pound donated works even harder. What makes the charity so unique is that all the management and administration costs are covered by John meaning every penny raised can go directly to the cause.

Caudwell Children pledges to continue to make donations to specific child cases of sickness, specialist medical requirements and dying wish holidays and to buy or build a property to help aid children/children’s charities.

Joan Collins Becomes Charity Ambassador

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Joan Collins has become the new ambassador for a British charity that focuses on donations to special children for medical treatment, therapy, specialized equipment, and dying wish holidays.

The 75-year-old star of Dynasty and author of 13 best-selling novels and self-help books will join Elizabeth Hurley as an ambassador for Caudwell Children, a charity established in 2000 by entrepreneur John Caudwell.

“John and his charity are doing wonderful things to help improve the lives of children everywhere,” said Collins. “I’m proud to be named as an ambassador of the charity and wholeheartedly lend my support to this worthy cause.”

The star is a regular attendee of the charity’s annual Legends Ball, and last year offered an exclusive auction prize of dinner with one of her fans at the event. But when bidding became heated and two rival fans were locked in battle over the prize, the screen legend offered both men the opportunity to dine with her, raising £200,000 for the charity.

“Joan is truly a British icon and we are delighted to be able to name her as one of the charity’s ambassadors,” said Trudi Beswick, CEO of Caudwell Children. “With the support of well-known personalities such as Joan and Elizabeth, the charity can continue to grow and help as many children as possible.”

The next Legends Ball – featuring Rod Stewart and Alan Carr – will take place in London on May 14.

Alan Carr To Join Rod Stewart At Charity Ball

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Global superstar, Rod Stewart, has been confirmed as the headline act at an annual fundraising event for sick and disabled children, and comedians Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr have been confirmed as MCs for the night.

The generous singer, famed for hits including Maggie May, You Wear It Well and Sailing, has agreed to donate his appearance and perform at the Caudwell Children ‘Butterfly Ball’ in May after learning about the work of the Charity.

The exclusive performance at London’s Battersea Evolution on May 14, will be in front of an impressive guest list of celebrities and charity supporters and will be the first performance in England by Stewart since appearing at the Princess Diana memorial concert at Wembley Stadium in 2007.

Stewart is the latest superstar to perform at the high profile event, which raises funds to provide vital specialist equipment, treatments and therapy for sick and disabled children living in the UK. Founded by successful entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist, John Caudwell, the Charity has donated over £9million and helped change the lives of thousands of children across the UK.

Trudi Beswick, CEO of Caudwell Children, said: “Rod Stewart is without doubt one of the most influential performers of a generation, totally unique and still one of the World’s top entertainers. We are thrilled that Rod has confirmed as our headline act and that he has kindly donated his time to the Charity, it is set to be an electrifying night and the money raised will all go to support children who desperately need our help.

“Justin and Alan are a great addition to our line-up; while the reason we stage this event is to raise vital funds for the charity, we aim to provide our guests with a truly memorable experience and they will definitely help us to achieve that.”

Stewart’s career began in the 60’s when he sung with bands including The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, but it was as a solo artist that Stewart gained international acclaim making him one of the biggest selling artists of all time. His distinctive raspy voice and emotive song writing secured him an impressive six consecutive UK number one albums and total of 62 hit UK singles. His latest studio album, Still the Same…Great Rock Classics of Our Time, was released in 2006 and went straight to Number 1 in the US Billboard charts.

By performing at the Butterfly Ball in May, Stewart joins the likes of Whitney Houston and Tina Turner, who have both previously entertained the audience of influential entrepreneurs, corporate partners and international celebrities at the glamorous fundraiser.

Caudwell Children is a national charity based in Staffordshire that provides direct donations of treatments, therapies and specialist equipment throughout the UK. To date the charity has donated over £9 million to thousands of children with over 160 different medical conditions.

The Charity is unique in that all the management and administration costs are covered by its founder and Chairman, John Caudwell, meaning every penny raised goes directly to the cause.

Details about the glamorous event and ticket details are available by visiting www.caudwellchildrenbutterflyball.co.uk or by calling the Charity on 01782 600113.

Rod Stewart To Rock Charity Gala

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Singer Rod Stewart will perform at London’s annual “not to be missed event,” the Butterfly Ball, this coming May to raise money for the Caudwell Children charity.

Caudwell Children’s chief executive, Trudi Beswick, was quite happy with Stewart’s offer, reported StaffsLive: “We are thrilled that Rod has confirmed as our headline act and that he has kindly donated his time to the charity.”

The yearly gala, formerly called Legends Ball, is only one of Caudwell Children’s fundraising methods, but is the most attention-grabbing one, attended by a host of celebrities and charity supporters. It’s also the most lucrative, raising £1.5 million last year.

Frustrated by the cost of management, businessman John Caudwell created the charity in 2000 to steer donations directly to providing the much needed medical treatments, therapies and specialized equipment for children in the UK, bypassing any administration costs. According to the charity’s website, all management and administration expenses are paid for by Caudwell himself: “For every pound donated not one single penny is spent on overheads, salaries, rent, electricity, postage, stationary etc.”

“It is set to be an electrifying night,” says Beswick of the upcoming Ball, “and the money raised will all go to support children who desperately need our help.”

Liz Hurley Becomes Ambassador For Special Children

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Elizabeth Hurley has become the new Ambassador for a British charity that focuses on donations to special children for medical treatment, therapy, specialized equipment, and dying wish holidays.

Established in 2000, Caudwell Children has made over 2,000 donations to families with disabled children. And now they will benefit from the efforts of Hurley, who will raise awareness of the charity and also help fundraise throughout the next year.

“There are sick and disabled children living in the UK who may not be receiving the support they need,“ said the model and actress. “Caudwell Children is trying to make a difference and I’m happy to help.”

The charity is extremely thrilled with the appointment, and is hoping for big things to come from the partnership.

“She is a global film and fashion icon as well as being respected as a loving mother,“ said Trudi Beswick, chief executive officer of Caudwell Children. “It is a great start to 2009 to be able to announce Elizabeth’s involvement and I’m confident that she will be influential in the continued growth of the charity.”

The actress is likely to attend the charity’s annual fundraising ball in May. Last year’s event featured a performance by Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston To Perform At Charity Ball

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:16:20 -0000

Written by Regina Walton

Recording legend Whitney Houston is scheduled to perform for the annual Caudwell Children’s Legend’s Ball on Thursday, May 8, in London. The event will be hosted by charity ambassador David Gest, and will be held at Battersea Evolution.

Last year’s ball featured Tina Turner and the event raised over $2 million. In addition to Whitney Houston’s performance this year, cinema legend Jane Russell will also make an appearance, as will other celebrities such as Piper Laurie, Angie Dickenson, and Tippi Hedren. The charity’s annual ball “…has become a not-to-be missed event; a star-studded night of glitz, glamour and out-of-this-world entertainment…”

Caudwell Children is a British non-profit which focuses on donations to special children for medical treatment, therapy, specialized equipment, and dying-wish holidays. The charity has been working towards its goals since 1999 and has made over 2,000 donations to families with disabled children.

Look To The Stars News: Caudwell Children

LTTS Exclusive - The Caudwell Children Butterfly Ball

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