# Richard E. Grant cuts ribbon for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, plus more celeb news

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/11/15/richard-e-grant-cuts-ribbon-for-the-royal-marsden-cancer-charity-plus-more-celeb-news/
- Published: 2024-11-15T09:15:00+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**From Richard E. Grant to Stephen Fry, here’s a round up of how celebrities have
been supporting good causes around the UK recently.**

![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2024/11/Ever-After-Garden.-Photo-Sam-Mellish-
1.png)

Photo: Sam Mellish

#### Richard E. Grant opens remembrance garden for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

Actor Richard E. Grant cut the ribbon to officially open the garden on 14 November.
Each year, the Ever After Garden, which this year is filled with over 30,000 illuminated
white roses, offers a space to pause and reflect over the festive period. Visitors
are invited to dedicate a rose in memory of a loved one, whilst making a donation
to [The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity](https://www.royalmarsden.org/), which supports
the work of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Brookfield is Headline Partner
for the Ever After Garden 2024.

The garden was inspired by the late production designer Michael Howells, whose work
included the film _Ever After, _after which the garden is named. After the loss 
of their friend, designer and Trustee of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Anya 
Hindmarch, and fashion writer, Camilla Morton, wanted to find an inspiring way to
remember those we have lost. Together, they created the Ever After Garden,_ _which
first lit up Grosvenor Square in 2019.

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![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2024/11/STV-Childrens-Appeal-2024.jpg)

#### Stars help 2024 STV Children’s Appeal reach over £2.4mn

The programme was presented by host Lorraine Kelly, alongside STV’s Laura Boyd, 
and broadcast from Glasgow Kelvin College’s Springburn Campus, with involvement 
from their Film Studies students. The college is supported by the Appeal to run 
intergenerational Community Hubs that benefit children and parents alike.

The [STV Appeal](https://stvappeal.tv/) Show concluded a week of fundraising on 
STV which saw a host of famous faces including Brian Cox, Marli Sui and Alan Cumming
appearing on the channel to support its charity drive. Jean Johansson also presented
an inspiring documentary on the importance of positive role models on young lives,
while S1 pupils from St Andrews RC Secondary in Glasgow’s East End took over as 
STV channel announcers, introducing shows on-air all week. Elsewhere, STV presenters
Sean Batty and Laura Boyd were tasked with reaching as many Scottish monuments as
they could within 48 hours and completing tasks by local schools and businesses 
to fundraise along the way.

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![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2024/11/Briony-May-Williams.jpg)

#### TV star lends a hand with hospice shop relaunch

TV star Briony May Williams has helped to relaunch a charity shop following its 
refurbishment and transformation into a vintage boutique. The shop in Westbury Hill
is one of two [St Peter’s Hospice](https://www.stpetershospice.org/) shops in Westbury-
on-Trym and has been revamped to specialise in vintage goods, just in time for the
Christmas shopping season to begin. It will offer vintage clothing, home goods and
small items of furniture and furnishings, all curated to appeal to lovers of timeless
styles and sustainable shopping. The charity will be launching a loyalty card alongside
the opening of the shop, which can be used in either of the two Westbury-on-Trym
shops.

Bristol-based Briony, best known for her appearances on Great British Bake Off and
as a presenter on Escape to the Country, is encouraging people to shop pre-loved
this year and says the new vintage boutique is a great place to start.

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![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2024/11/Jules-hudson.jpg)

#### BBC’s Jules Hudson leads sponsored walk campaign for military veterans

Veterans charity Walking With The Wounded has announced the 2024 launch of its annual
[Walking Home ](https://walking-home.walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/)fundraising effort,
encouraging people to take a walk this winter, big or small, in aid of the charity’s
continued support of military veterans.

Former Army Reservist and presenter of the BBC’s Escape to the Country, Jules Hudson,
leads the campaign. Hudson took part in a sponsored walk at Monmouth Castle where
his former regiment, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, is stationed. Alongside
him were local Cadets from the Monmouth Detachment ACF and Haberdashers Monmouth
School CCF. As well as combating loneliness, this year’s motto of ‘Let’s Talk’ looks
to encourage conversations about mental health more widely.

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#### Stephen Fry appeals for 32 seconds to help boost food bank donations

Stephen Fry is encouraging people to take 32 seconds to download [BanktheFood](https://www.bankthefood.org/),
a free app that helps ensure food banks get what they need in the run-up to Christmas
and beyond. The app instantly connects donors to their nearest food bank, providing
a list of their most needed items.

Spoken-word artist Georgie Jones wrote 32 Seconds, which illustrates the positive
impact of downloading an app in just a few seconds. In the campaign’s launch video,
Stephen Fry brings Jones’ words to life, making a heartfelt appeal to the public:_“
While it may take minutes to make a cup of tea or inflate a balloon, it takes just
32 seconds to download the BanktheFood app and help those struggling to afford food.”_

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![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2024/11/Daz-and-James.jpeg)

L-R: Daz and James

#### YouTuber Daz Black raises more than £22K for Rays of Sunshine in charity game-athon

[Rays of Sunshine’s](https://raysofsunshine.org.uk/) first-ever game-athon fundraiser,
hosted by content creator Daz Black, raised more than £22,000 to help the charity
grant more magical wishes for seriously ill children. The event saw fans, known 
as ‘dazzlers’, come together for five and a half hours of Halloween-themed gaming

With the help of interactive fundraising platform Tiltify and production company
Sassy Plus they were engaged to donate to influence the stream – for example, by
donating to vote for different challenges set for Daz as he gamed. GAMINGBible, 
a LADBible Group brand, matched the first £10,000 of donations, while different 
fundraising milestones provoked different events, including an all-out ‘Party Mode’
for each £5,000 reached. Other highlights included Daz’s stint in a pumpkin outfit,
and his Off The Hook cohost Will challenging him to drink some weird and wild drinks.
Daz’s biggest fan, 19-year-old James, was also able to join him in the studio for
the stream, thanks to Rays of Sunshine.

 * **[West Ham United support Christmas Jumper Day, & other celebrity charity news](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/12/30/west-ham-united-support-christmas-jumper-day-other-celebrity-charity-news/)**(
   30 December 2024)
 * **[Amelia Dimoldenberg & Joanna Lumley star in Red Nose Day 2025 launch sketch; & more celeb news](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/01/31/amelia-dimoldenberg-joanna-lumley-star-in-red-nose-day-2025-launch-sketch-more-celeb-news/)**(
   31 January 2025)
 * **[Fundraising and charity leadership appointments in December 2025](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/12/09/fundraising-and-charity-leadership-appointments-in-december-2025/)**(
   9 December 2025)
