Sir Roger Moore launches childrens charity appeal

Sir Roger Moore was hoping to raise more than an eyebrow when he launched a new Unicef fundraising campaign today, reports The Scotsman.

The actor, who has been a goodwill ambassador for the children’s charity since 1991, is urging people to root out their old European currency and hand it in to one of 1,600 HSBC branches for the Change For Good campaign.

Sir Roger, who is best known for playing smooth-talking spy James Bond, showed he still has a golden touch when he attended the launch outside HSBC’s Chatwood safe.

The safe, in the City of London, featured in the 007 movie Goldfinger.

Posing in front of the 74-year-old, 35-ton metal door, he begged people to help make a difference to children’s lives all over the world.

Sir Roger, who celebrated his 77th birthday this month, said: “We hope by the appeal people will be encouraged to help change the lives of children.”

Change For Good, since it was started by British Airways 10 years ago, has raised £18 million for Unicef, just 9% of which is spent on administration, he said.

“I have seen various projects entirely funded by the British Airways’ Change For Good campaign in Mexico City.

“I saw children literally in the slave market, coming from poor provinces in Mexico to seek work in the city. We have a project there where they encourage children to come and play. Every penny goes for good.”

New research has shown that three out of 10 Britons still have old European currencies, such as francs, pesetas and lire, at home, with more than a quarter estimating they have more than £10 worth, which would provide nearly 300 children with a litre of clean drinking water each.

Given the choice, the ICM research showed more than 70% of Britons would donate their unusable European currency to charity.

Sir Roger, who was born in south London, said: “People forget about it. A wallet gets emptied, goes to the bottom of the drawer and they say ‘Oh dear, it’s too late to change this’.

“We are begging people to look in their drawers and, if you get any old currency, please pick up a Change For Good envelope and hand it in.

“The children themselves may not be able to thank you, because they are spread all over the world, but you should sleep at nights knowing that if they knew where the help was coming from, they would say ‘Thank you’.”

In January, Sir Roger is planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur to see some Unicef projects and host four fundraising evenings of music.

Sue Hurley, BA’s Change For Good executive, added: “Over the past 10 years British Airways’ Change For Good has made a huge difference to thousands of children across the world.

“Any extra donations, however small, will make a valuable contribution to this life-changing work.”

So far, Change For Good has helped thousands of disadvantaged children through projects in 50 different countries.

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.

Discuss this news here...