24 November 2016

A lunch held in Manchester on 10^th November has raised £57,000 for Child Bereavement UK, a charity which supports bereaved children, young people and their families.

The event, at which singer-songwriter legend Gary Barlow was interviewed about his music career by the king of breakfast television, Eamonn Holmes, was attended by almost 450 people.

The Take That superstar gave a surprise performance of one of his hit songs, Forever Love, to the delight of guests.

The announcement by Julia Samuel MBE, Founder Patron of Child Bereavement UK, that Gary had agreed to become a Patron of the charity, was greeted with applause. Gary had previously performed at Child Bereavement UK’s 21^st birthday celebration in the presence of its Royal Patron, HRH the Duke of Cambridge, in October 2015.

Gary and his wife Dawn’s baby daughter, Poppy, was stillborn on August 4^th 2012. Gary said:

I am delighted to help to raise the profile of Child Bereavement UK, a wonderful charity that provides vital support to bereaved families.

Becoming a patron is my way of saying thanks for all the help Child Bereavement UK has given us and many other families going through the pain of bereavement.

The lunch, organised by party planner supremo, Liz Taylor, of Taylor Lynn Corporation Ltd, was held at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, where guests were treated to a Champagne reception and lunch, followed by dessert and Champagne with stunning views of the city from Cloud 23.

Celebrity guests included Tricia Penrose, of Heartbeat and Emmerdale fame; and The Real Housewives of Cheshire stars Seema Malhotra, and Stacey Forsey. Stacey had recently supported Child Bereavement UK with her art exhibition at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, and visited the charity’s bereavement service in Runcorn to find out more about their work in Cheshire.

Child Bereavement UK’s CEO, Ann Chalmers, who gave a moving speech about the work of Child Bereavement UK, said:

The event has been a huge success in helping raise funds and awareness of our bereavement service in Runcorn which supports families across Cheshire when a baby or child dies, or when a child is facing bereavement.

I’d like to thank Gary Barlow for his incredible support of the charity; Eamonn Holmes for being such a brilliant host; Liz Taylor for organising this stunning event; and John McLaughlin, Hilton General Manager, for providing the amazing venue.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank all our wonderful attendees for their generosity. We are delighted to have received such a warm reception from our guests in Manchester and are incredibly grateful for their support of our vital work helping families across Cheshire to rebuild their lives after child bereavement.

To find out more about Child Bereavement UK or to make a donation, go to:

www.childbereavementuk.org
Helpline: 0800 02 888 40
Twitter: @cbukhelp #GaryBarlowlunch

ENDS

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Notes for Editors

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO MEDIA INTERVIEWS WITH GARY BARLOW OR CHILD BEREAVEMENT UK IN RELATION TO THIS EVENT.

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. Every year we train c. 8000 health professionals helping them to better understand and meet the needs of grieving families.

In the UK, when a baby or child dies, or a child is bereaved, many of those affected are unable to access good quality support which meets their individual needs. Child Bereavement UK believes all families should have the support they need to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. Our aim is to make sure they do.

Child Bereavement UK provides free support and information to bereaved children and young people up to the age of 25 and parents bereaved of a baby or child in Cheshire from its base in Runcorn. Tel: 01928 577164

Press Enquiries:
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