Helen Fielding, creator of fiction’s most cherished singleton Bridget Jones, has become an official ambassador for Yorkshire Children’s Charity.
As an ambassador for Yorkshire Children’s Charity, the Yorkshire-born author will be supporting with the charity’s mission to transform childhoods and make things better for the thousands of disadvantaged children in the region.
The announcement comes following Helen’s special guest appearance at a recent fundraising event held by the charity at Capri @ The Vine in Wakefield. The event saw Helen treat guests to an anecdote-packed talk, recounting memories of growing up in Morley, attending school in Yorkshire, as well as reflecting on her time spent creating one of fiction’s much loved national treasures – Bridget.
The event was a huge success and has raised more than £17,500 for the charity’s ‘Christmas and Winter Essentials’ Appeal, which was launched with this aim of providing children living in poverty across the region with presents, as well as new coats and shoes over the winter months.
In the short time since its launch, the Winter Appeal has received three times the number of applications than it did throughout the whole of winter last year, a staggering statistic that reveals the devastating impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on the children in our region.
Commenting on her work with Yorkshire Children’s Charity, Helen said: “”I was both honoured and shocked to be speaking at an event to raise money for child poverty in Yorkshire, where I grew up and where a third of all children are now living in poverty.
“When I worked as journalist in East Africa, I was used to talking about children who didn’t have food, access to proper healthcare schooling or shelter in Ethiopia or the Sudan – but in Yorkshire?
“It’s not right, as my Mum would have said. But northern people are good at rolling up their sleeves and helping, which is exactly what the Yorkshire Children’s Charity is doing. The Ladies Lunch event was full of good humour, generosity and fun. To become an Ambassador for the charity is an incredible privilege and I’m looking forward to joining the team in their work to give all Yorkshire’s children a chance to experience a happier childhood.”
Charlotte Farrington, CEO of Yorkshire Children’s Charity, added: “We’re absolutely delighted that Yorkshire’s very own Helen Fielding has come on board as Ambassador of Yorkshire Children’s Charity. To have Helen wave the flag for the children of Yorkshire and our work is deeply humbling and a real act of incredible kindness.
“We are extremely grateful to Helen for her support and know that together, we can continue to make a difference to the thousands of children at a disadvantage, across our region facing unimaginable challenges in these desperate times.”
Since its launch last year, Yorkshire Children’s Charity has already managed to raise over £2.7million to help support the 92,000 children in Yorkshire with disabilities, and one third of the region’s children who are currently living in poverty.
