Arlo Parks becomes UNICEF UK Ambassador, plus more celeb news
Melanie May | 4 July 2024 | News
A round up of celebrity support news, from Arlo Parks becoming a UNICEF UK Ambassador, to Jackie Morris designing a poster that is raising funds for Médicins sans Frontières.
Arlo Parks appointed a UNICEF UK Ambassador
Arlo Parks has been appointed as the youngest Ambassador to the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), following three years of support to the charity. The award-winning musician and poet visited Sierra Leone with UNICEF UK this month and spent five days with young people who are leading change in their communities.
Her itinerary was led by UNICEF Sierra Leone Youth Advocates, all of whom have set up grassroots responses to social challenges in the West African country, including teenage pregnancy and substance abuse. Parks met the leaders of Kush4Go, a substance abuse campaign and met with recovering addicts, and also met Foday whose organisation provides opportunities for students to engage in both national and international sports, fostering skills that are transferable and help to address critical issues such as health education, personal development, and social inclusion.
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Opera star named celebrity ambassador for Sarcoma UK
Opera singer Mark Llewelyn Evans has been named the newest celebrity ambassador for the charity Sarcoma UK. The Welsh baritone’s career has seen him sing at international opera houses, in films and for crowds before Six Nations rugby matches.
Llewelyn Evans, whose father died from sarcoma cancer, has also been a good friend of the charity for a number of years. He hosted last year’s inaugural Shining Star Awards in Downing Street, our carol concert and a live auction at the Glitter Ball this April.
Ricky Gervais designs eco-friendly t-shirt supporting Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting
British comedian and animal rights activist, Ricky Gervais, has designed an exclusive, eco-friendly t-shirt, to raise awareness about British Trophy Hunters and support for the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting.
The limited-edition t-shirt, part of an exclusive and sustainable collection of casual wear designed by Gervais, aims to drive donations and raise awareness of the Campaign’s efforts to ban the import of animal trophies. Gervais has been vocal about his opposition to trophy hunting and is a supporter of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting. The garments, made from organic cotton, are produced to order using renewable energy and can be returned to the supplier, Teemill, when they are no longer being worn.
Tennis star launches summer tennis-a-thon to raise money for young people with cancer
Tennis star Ryan Peniston from Southend in Essex, is encouraging fellow tennis players to take part in Young Lives vs Cancer’s tennis-a-thon this summer to raise money for young people facing cancer.
Peniston has been an ambassador of Young Lives vs Cancer since July 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer himself as a baby. This August, tennis players from up and down the UK are invited to take part in a tennis-a-thon challenge in whatever way works best for them. The strapline is ‘Your game, your way’ so it could be completed in one day, over a weekend or throughout the whole month. There are suggestions like playing for as long as you can, having competitions against friends and family at your local club or in the garden or playing tennis for a certain amount of hours over one day.
Cyndi Lauper designs Glastonbury Disco Loo with WaterAid
The toilet was to raise awareness of the 1 in 5 people who don’t have a decent toilet. A composting toilet, the Disco Loo was located near the Pyramid Stage where Lauper performed, and saw VIP guests walk inside a giant disco ball to shiny mirrored walls, disco balls, coloured spotlights and neon wall art.
WaterAid has been a charity partner of Glastonbury since 1994 and Glastonbury Festival has donated over £5 million to WaterAid for supporting the water and sanitation services at Worthy Farm since the partnership began.
Jackie Morris poster raises funds for Médicins sans Frontières
Author and illustrator Jackie Morris has joined forces with Welsh poet Mererid Hopwood to create a ‘poster for peace’, published by Graffeg.
The creation of Jackie Morris, it features an illustration of a white dove rising, while underneath is a short poem voicing a fragile hope for a peaceful future. In the Welsh version, Jackie’s illustration is accompanied by an englyn, ‘Colomen Heddwch’, written by Wales’s current incumbent Archdruid, Mererid Hopwood. The poster is £20, and 50% of the royalties go to Médicins sans Frontières.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.