Celebrities support Action for Children this Christmas - why it matters
Our celebrity supporters play a crucial role in raising awareness of Action for Children’s work. Join us in thanking them for supporting this year's Secret Santa Christmas appeal.
Thanks to our celebrity ambassadors and supporters, we’ve been able to provide vital help to vulnerable children and families, while spreading awareness of our mission.
This Christmas, we teamed up with award-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin for our festive film, 'Santaland'.
In the film, Anna plays a busy Christmas elf working at Santa's grotto, where she's approached by a curious little girl named Lily. What begins as a heart-warming exchange of questions turns into a devastating blow when the elf begins to understand the reality of Lily's situation.
To promote the film, Anna appeared on ITV’s Lorraine, where she presented Lorraine Kelly with a charity gift certificate. She included a personalised message and highlighted the importance of supporting our Secret Santa appeal.
On 3 December, we also hosted a private screening at Sony’s London offices to thank those involved.
During the evening, BBC broadcast journalist and presenter, Ashley Baptiste, interviewed Anna about the film, highlighted our mission, and showed his support.
In a special moment, we proudly announced Anna as an official Action for Children Celebrity Ambassador, recognising her commitment to championing children and young people.
On Wednesday 19 November, our third Starry Night Gala took place in the Peninsula Hotel, London.
Hosted by broadcaster, former newsreader, writer and journalist, Angela Rippon, the night saw celebrity guests and VIPs immersed in glamour and entertainment, while raising vital funds for vulnerable children and young people.
Here are a few of the celebrity supporters on the night:
- Channel 4's The Piano's, Brad Kella.
- Magician and Britain's Got Talent Finalist, Darren Sarsby.
- TV Presenter, Broadcaster and Journalist, Vanessa Feltz
- BBC Antiques Roadshow's and Action for Children Ambassador, Ronnie Archer-Morgan.
- And many more!
And just when it seemed the night couldn’t get any better, the dance floor came alive as guests were treated to an exclusive headline set from the award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, Alexandra Burke.
The event raised an incredible £215,000 for vulnerable children, young people and families across the UK.
In December, our Celebrity Ambassador, Larry Lamb, paid a visit to our Vale of Glamorgan Short Breaks Project, located in Barry.
During his visit, Larry met with our dedicated team and learned how they work to keep children safe, and provide practical help to parents facing challenges.
Larry also shared candid reflections on his own childhood.
Alongside this, Larry is the iconic voice of our Christmas TV advert, where he narrates three character's individual stories as they come to life through Christmas cards displayed on a festive mantlepiece.
This year, we’ve received incredible celebrity support on social media, helping us reach thousands of people. Their involvement is vital in spreading our message and raising awareness.
Here are a few key moments:
- Dawn French and Jessie J showed their support by sharing our Secret Santa campaign on their Instagram stories.
- Best-selling author, Bella Mackie, shared a heartfelt Instagram message to raise awareness for our appeal.
- Her husband and Radio 1 host, Greg James, generously donated £500 and promoted Secret Santa on his own Instagram account. His post reached 165,000 people, sparking an additional £3,000 in donations. With Nationwide doubling contributions at the time, this total grew to over £6,000.
We're so grateful for our celebrity supporters and ambassadors.
But we also know that we couldn't do any of this without people like you.
Right now, 4.5 million children across the UK are living in poverty. That's 31% of all children.
By making a donation and becoming a Secret Santa, you could help bring happiness, warmth, and safety to vulnerable children this Christmas and beyond.
