How to get Charity Patrons?

RESOURCES

- Equity, the trade union representing artists from actors to TV presenters, can provide contact details for a celebrity's agent. Call 0207 379 6000 or visit http://www.equity.org.uk/

- Celebrity Agents works with celebrities, sports stars, TV and radio presenters. Call 0845 458 3707 or visit http://www.celebrity-agent.co.uk/

- Upfront Celebrity Services claims to have contact data for 17,000 celebrities and handled celebrities for the Jeans for Genes campaign 2004. Call 0207 836 7703 or see http://www.celebritiesworldwide.com/

- The A-list claims to have contacts with up to 15,000 celebrities, including Beyonce Knowles and Johnny Depp, and has been used by charitable organisations since 1997. The cost to access the database is £5.45 per month, which includes a free report on celebrities. See http://www.the-alist.org/

- Another approach is to use the BBC's celebrity stock exchange game Celebdaq to track how much media coverage potential celebrity supporters are getting. Celebrities are valued according to the column inches they get and you can buy and sell 'shares' in listed celebrities in an effort to be crowned the weekly Top Trader. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/celebdaq

MORE TIPS

- Keep a close watch on the local media for celebrities who live in the your charity's area and ensure that all staff, including trustees, are asked if they have any possible celebrity contacts

- Don't send out letters that are too formal or make things complicated. Instead, use bullet points, and if they want more information, they will contact you or visit your website

- Be realistic - staff can develop overblown ideas of the impact that celebrities can have on both media profile and funding, so expectations have to be carefully managed

- Make friends with celebrity agents - if they feel passionately about the charity, you're more likely to get the celebrity signed up

- Draw up a wish-list of five celebrities who appeal to different groups you want to target, and personalise the contact approach as much as possible

- Be aware of what is going on in your charity so that you can exploit known links with celebrities and avoid any nasty surprises

- Make sure the celebrity is well briefed so you speak with one voice and share the same values without overcomplicating the message
Here follows some Charity Patron weblinks:

http://www.ocduk.org/patrons

Actor Hugh Grant becomes patron of Pancreatic Cancer Action. UK charity, Pancreatic Cancer Action
The actor is also patron of healthtalkonline.org, a website and charity founded by Dr Ann McPherson who sadly died earlier in 2011.

Actor Simon Callow Charity patron  The Big Issue.

TV regular Andrew Lancel, star of ITV’s Coronation Street and The Bill is a patron of Chernobyl Heart.

EastEnders actor Shane Richie makes an appeal to raise funds for the Huntington's Disease Association, a charity for which Shane is patron.

Tamzin Outhwaite, star of Eastenders and Sweet Charity has become a new actors centre patron.
The National Osteoporosis Society 16 patrons who help the charity to raise the profile of Osteoporosis.

http://www.nos.org.uk/page.aspx?pid=322

Sean Bean

Mary Berry
One of the UK's best-known and respected cookery writers, Mary regularly appears on Radio 4's Woman's Hour and BBC2's Saturday Kitchen.

Deborah Bull CBE
British ballet dancer, spending 20 years with The Royal Ballet. She has also presented a number of BBC TV programmes, including The Dancer's Body.

Wendy Craig
British actress who has starred in numerous popular TV series, including Butterflies, Nanny and more recently The Royal.

Peter Cruddas
Peter is the founder and Chairman of CMC Markets with headquarters in the City as well as operations in 24 other countries. The Peter Cruddas Foundation is a major benefactor to a range of charities including the National Osteoporosis Society.

Trudie Goodwin
British actress who has starred in popular TV cop series The Bill.

Susan Hampshire OBE
British actress of stage and screen, she has starred in series such as The Forsythe Saga and Monarch of the Glen.

Nerys Hughes
Welsh actress who has starred in many TV programmes, including the popular Liver Birds and The District Nurse.

The Lady Hylton
A neighbour of the National Osteoporosis Society, the Lady Hylton was the first patron to lend her support to the charity when it was in its infancy.

Ross Kemp
British actor who is well-known for his role in popular BBC soap EastEnders as well as other TV work such as Ultimate Force and Extras.

Maggie Philbin
TV and radio presenter who fronted popular science programme Tomorrow's World.

Craig Revel Horwood
Craig has been working with the charity for over a year and co-created our bone healthy dance 'Boogie for Your Bones'. He was Mr September in our Really Naked Calendar and this year will lead the charity on the Bone Factor Tour, as we visit schools to improve understanding of the need for building strong bones from a young age. For more information on the tour, visit www.bones4life.org/bonefactor.

Dr Miriam Stoppard
Medical doctor who champions women's health issues as well as writing advice columns for the national press.

Lizzie Webb
Fitness expert who is well-known to breakfast TV audiences for her energetic routines which got Britain on the move before going to work.

Barbara Windsor MBE
Much loved British actress whose career has spanned many years. Well-known for the series of Carry On films, she is now a big part of BBC soap EastEnders.

Lynn Faulds Wood
Campaigning journalist who has written on health and consumer issues for national UK press as well as presenting numerous TV programmes.

http://www.merlin.org.uk/about-us/our-patrons
Natasha Kaplinsky
Hugh Bonneville
Edward Stourton

British actor Geoffrey Palmer is a patron for Iain Rennie Hospice at Home.

http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/about/our_team/presidents_and_patron

http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=2841&Title=Martin%20Shaw%20patron%20of%20CANCERactive

Martin Shaw is a celebrity activist for animal rights and animal welfare. As well as being a patron of CANCERactive he is the patron of the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, a charity organisation that provides a safe home for neglected and abused animals.

http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/about-us/whos-who/celebrity-patrons/
Rebecca Front
Marcus Trescothick
Ruby Wax
Simon Webbe
Denise Welch

http://www.meningitis-trust.org/about-us/meet-the-team/patrons-and-celebrities/

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/patrons.html

http://www.childbereavement.org.uk/about_us/organisation

http://www.tusk.org/celebrity.asp

Kenneth Branagh named Progress Theatre patron

Coronation Street favourite Antony Cotton has been appointed a patron of Manchester Pride

Zoe Wanamaker is a Patron of the UK charity Tree Aid. She is also a Patron of Dignity in Dying, The Lymphoedema Support Network,Youth Music Theatre: UK and of the Young Actors Theatre, Islington. She is also one of the Honorary Patrons of the London children's charity Scene & Heard.

ACTOR Michael Sheen has become a patron of a Welsh Armed Forces charity Healing The Wounds charity, which helps treat sufferers of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder).

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=87

http://www.scope.org.uk/about-us/our-patrons

The Pippa Jones Little Treasure Trust Supporting families who have children with cancer
Our Patron is Barnsley born actor  Shaun Dooley

Queen guitarist Brian May has been named as a patron for a non-animal medical research charity Dr Hadwen Trust's (Dht) alongside other high profile patrons for the British charity, including Dame Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley.

Vicki Michelle Allo Allo Actresshttp://www.vickimichelle.co.uk/Vicki%20New%20Design%20Patron%20Page.htm

Paul Potts, TREAT Trust Patron & Michael Sheen OBE, TREAT Trust President. http://www.treattrust.org/
Olly Murs becomes a patron of children's charity Brainwave

Catherine Zeta Jones is patron of Noah’s Ark, a charity that raises funds for the the Children’s Hospital at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff

Cancer Research UKhttp://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/celebritynoticeboard/

Glen Murphy - Actor & Producer from Londons Burning is patron to the Supportline charity which provides a confidential telephone helpline. He is also patron to Haven House Childrens Hospice.

Actor Tom Hardy, is patron of Flackhttp://www.flackcambridge.org.uk/

Jeremy Irons is the patron of the Prison Phoenix Trust as well as http://jeremyirons.net/charities/

John Barrowman becomes CRY Patron.

http://www.meningitisuk.org/about-us/meningitis-uk-patrons.htm
Joe Swash
Sarah Ayton
Jane Seymour
Robin Cousins
Shirley Webb
Bob Woodward

http://en.downsideup.org/patrons.php
CELEBRITY chef Marco Pierre White and actor Mark Moraghan have been made official patrons of Claire House Children’s Hospice.

East Anglian Air Ambulance Actor David Jason is the Patron of the organisation

Kara Tointon, celebrity patron of The Vision Charity http://www.visioncharity.co.uk/patrons.php

Bill Bailey, comedian, actor and musician and valued patron of International Animal Rescue as is comedian Jo Brand