Know anyone famous?

[Rhubarb]

I work for a charity called The Good Rock Foundation which basically helps orphaned and abandoned children and babies in China. I'm sure you've all heard of the one-child policy they have over there, and because of the cultural preference for boys, many female babies are simply abandoned. The only male babies that are abandoned are disabled or terminally ill ones as their parents cannot afford to care for them. As a charity we try to get them into foster homes, we provide specialist equipment for disabled children and medical care for the ill ones. We also provide basic care and equipment in the orphanages.

Anyway, we are holding an art auction in July and want to send celebrities a napkin for them to sign and perhaps do a doodle for us so that we can auction those off too. So if anyone knows of anybody famous, or perhaps some Mumsnetters are secretly famous themselves...! Please get in touch. My email is [email protected].

If you want to know more about the charity we have a website at www.goodrock.org.uk.

Thanks guys.

[Janus]

I used to work in a Theatre and we would get loads of requests like these and we used to give out theatre tickets for people to use at charity auctions. Sorry, I don't know anyone famous but it would be a good idea to bundle some napkins up with a covering letter to the Stage Door of some theatres in London and they may help you (if you are a registered charity make sure you use the headed notepaper as I remember we only gave out the tickets to registered charities).
Other than that, I think Spotlight (which is like the Yellow Pages of the actors world - it would list anyone's agent, their address, etc) is now online and you could work your way through this (suggest www.spotlight.com but do a search!).
Good luck.

[jessi]

Hi Rhubarb, I would suggest looking at Peter,Fraser & Dunlops website. They are an actors agency and have all the famous actors/celebs/comedians/writers on their books that you will ever need! Then write a letter to each actor you are interested in via the agency. Do a search on Yahoo or whatever and key in PFD and it should come up. Good Luck!

[Rhubarb]

But would the agents pass the letters on to their clients? I am worried that because we are asking for something for free, the agents might veto our letters deciding that it is not important to their client. I thought a better way was to get them at work, for instance writing to Jonathan Ross via Radio 2. Do you think this will work or am I better off sticking with their agents?

[jessi]

Hi Rhubarb, all agents pass on letters to their clients, and as far as I know, they don't open them either! You could write to their place of work or their agents, either would be good. But I just thought for the ones that maybe are'nt affiliated with a particular programme/theatre at the mo, then the agent would be the best route. It will probably take some time to get the napkins back so get posting soon if you've got a deadline! Good Luck with it all.

[Rhubarb]

Thanks a lot Jessi! So far I have got 17 names and addresses - mainly thanks to that website you recommended! But I would still appeal to anyone who knows of anyone remotely famous to ask them to get in touch - or if anyone on here is already famous. All emails will be treated absolutely confidentially, we are a charity so we can't afford to get sued! My email is at the bottom of this thread.

[jessi]

Rhubarb, glad I could help!

[Rhubarb]

Rozzy - perhaps I could send a letter to where this star is rehearsing? It might get to them quicker that way. Do you think it is something he or she might be interested in? Are they a charitable kind of person?

[Tinker]

Rhubarb - most football clubs are pretty obliging about this sort of stuff - all those signed Liverpool and Scum balls for school raffles. Just a thought.

[Rhubarb]

Hmm, I might try the football ones, thanks Tinker!

[Enchanted]

The Groucho Club, has many very famous members and the senior managment are mainly mothers. I bet if you wrote to them and asked them to help they would do what they could. Keep it short (but pleading) as they are very busy and make it simple to organise infact send a couple of napkins with your letter.
The address is 45 Dean Street, London W1V 5AP.
Phone and ask for the General Managers name.
Good Luck and well done.