Last night saw the annual WellChild Awards Ceremony take place at the Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. The event, now in its fifth year, celebrates the bravery of severely sick or disabled children throughout the UK, and rewards the outstanding commitment and level of care that is provided for them by healthcare professionals and their families on a daily basis. In short, attending the annual ceremony is one of the most emotional, heart warming and inspiring ways to spend an evening.
Which is why a host of celebrities turned out to support the charity and to do their bit to promote such a worthwhile cause. This was no 'opening of a paper bag' occasion, and there were no celebrity egos inside the room. Instead, the award winners and their families took centre stage, as the watching room commended their tireless efforts and bravery. Even a Prince (Prince Harry is the charity's patron) couldn't upstage the 18 winners and their inspirational stories.
There was Lyndon Longhorne, the winner of the bravest child in the 12 - 15 category. Lyndon contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia when he was 9 months old and as a result had part of both his legs amputated and both hands amputated. But he hasn't let that stop him training for the Olympics; he hopes to represent his country in the swimming pool at London 2012. And then there was Alexandra Emery and Aimee Humphries, winners in the 6-8 and 2-5 categories respectively, who both showed remarkable courage and a joy for life despite the challenges they faced. Sadly both little girls passed away just weeks before the event, leaving their families to accept the awards on their behalf.
As well as Prince Harry, the event was attended by Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne (who made a speech about the WellChild nurse he sponsors being one of the best investments he has ever made) and his wife Joanne Bannatyne, Jermaine Defoe, Liz McClarnon, Joe Pasquale, Chris Hollins, Ian Waite and Escala to name a few.
And whilst their attendance was not integral to the evening, their presence helped to provide some added excitement for the children and their families, and gave the media another reason to give column inches and airtime to the charity. The bank of paparazzi at the hotel entrance would also not have been there without them.
And the event has certainly been a success from a public relations point of view for WellChild. This morning it has received coverage on Sky News, ITN, The Sun and the Daily Mail, as well as being put out on the wire by PA, securing numerous regional hits as well as international coverage.
This is celebrity PR at its best - well-known faces lending their support to a charity for all the right reasons and in turn that support being used by a publicity agent to garner interest from the media to deliver a high profile, high impact, effective public relations campaign for the cause. There is little doubt that the event and the surrounding activity has raised the profile of WellChild, and has hopefully encouraged many more people, celebrity or not, to support the awe-inspiring work that they do.
Which is why a host of celebrities turned out to support the charity and to do their bit to promote such a worthwhile cause. This was no 'opening of a paper bag' occasion, and there were no celebrity egos inside the room. Instead, the award winners and their families took centre stage, as the watching room commended their tireless efforts and bravery. Even a Prince (Prince Harry is the charity's patron) couldn't upstage the 18 winners and their inspirational stories.
There was Lyndon Longhorne, the winner of the bravest child in the 12 - 15 category. Lyndon contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia when he was 9 months old and as a result had part of both his legs amputated and both hands amputated. But he hasn't let that stop him training for the Olympics; he hopes to represent his country in the swimming pool at London 2012. And then there was Alexandra Emery and Aimee Humphries, winners in the 6-8 and 2-5 categories respectively, who both showed remarkable courage and a joy for life despite the challenges they faced. Sadly both little girls passed away just weeks before the event, leaving their families to accept the awards on their behalf.
As well as Prince Harry, the event was attended by Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne (who made a speech about the WellChild nurse he sponsors being one of the best investments he has ever made) and his wife Joanne Bannatyne, Jermaine Defoe, Liz McClarnon, Joe Pasquale, Chris Hollins, Ian Waite and Escala to name a few.
And whilst their attendance was not integral to the evening, their presence helped to provide some added excitement for the children and their families, and gave the media another reason to give column inches and airtime to the charity. The bank of paparazzi at the hotel entrance would also not have been there without them.
And the event has certainly been a success from a public relations point of view for WellChild. This morning it has received coverage on Sky News, ITN, The Sun and the Daily Mail, as well as being put out on the wire by PA, securing numerous regional hits as well as international coverage.
This is celebrity PR at its best - well-known faces lending their support to a charity for all the right reasons and in turn that support being used by a publicity agent to garner interest from the media to deliver a high profile, high impact, effective public relations campaign for the cause. There is little doubt that the event and the surrounding activity has raised the profile of WellChild, and has hopefully encouraged many more people, celebrity or not, to support the awe-inspiring work that they do.
0 Comments
Add A Comment