Nicholas Hoult, actor and longtime supporter of Save the Children, has surprised children at a play project in London as he becomes the charity’s newest celebrity ambassador, just a day after attending a fan event for his latest film, Superman.
Visiting Rich Mix in East London, Hoult – who stars as Lex Luthor in the film –joined an after-school club to surprise children aged 7 to 11 from the local area as they took part in a film and multimedia workshop on what it means to be a superhero. In addition to participating in the workshop, which saw the children script, film and act out their very own sketches of villains and superheroes, Hoult also took part in a Q&A session with the students.
The children had a chance to enjoy a sneak peek of the new Superman film moments before Hoult arrived. They immediately asked for ’Lex’s’ autograph before urging him to facetime his co-star ‘Superman’. After discussing all aspects of the film’s production and the wonders of CGI, the budding film-makers asked Hoult about his childhood and what had inspired him to become an actor.
Speaking about his visit, Hoult said: “It’s been a real privilege to meet the children here at Rich Mix on my first day as an official ambassador for Save the Children. Seeing the joy that they got from taking part in the workshop reminded me how much I loved being involved in film from a young age. It’s clear how passionate they are and it’s been so inspiring to meet the next generation of creatives, who come from all walks of life. I have no doubt they’re on the right path to fulfill their dreams.”
Based in Shoreditch, Rich Mix is a charity and community arts centre. As well as providing free after school clubs, it partners with Save the Children’s ‘Power of Play’ project, which supports children’s learning through creative play. The project sees Save the Children and other partners support Tower Hamlets caregivers and educators to embed play-based learning at home, in schools, and the community.
Child poverty in the UK has reached a devastating new high of 4.5 million, with 1 in 3 children living in poverty. The latest data shows that in Tower Hamlets alone, 32,775 children are living in poverty – that’s 47% of children living in the local authority, the highest across all local authorities in London.
Save the Children is one of the leading children’s charities in the UK, running a range of a programmes aimed at supporting children living in poverty and narrowing the gap between children from low-income families and their better-off classmates.
Mabel McKeown, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Save the Children, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Nicholas as our latest official ambassador, and want to thank him for his unwavering support over the years. It’s been wonderful to see how excited the children have been at the opportunity to meet with him at Rich Mix and hear about his journey in the film industry – something they’re all so passionate about. Save the Children believes that every child in the UK should get a chance to realise their dreams, no matter what situation they’re born into and today’s workshop with Nicholas has been truly inspiring for the children involved.”
Hoult joins Ashley Jensen, Dom Joly, Joely Richardson, Misan Harriman, Sir Mo Farah, Myleene Klass, Poppy Delevingne and Sophie Ellis Bextor as the latest celebrity to join Save the Children as an official ambassador. Ambassadors for the charity visit projects, promote campaigns and work tirelessly to help get the charity’s message heard.
