Matthew-Lewis.com

The first photos of Matthew attending yesterday’s Walk of Smiles for Bethany’s Smile, have appeared online via the charity’s Facebook page.  All the photos may be viewed in our gallery. More will be added as they make their way online.

Matthew Lewis will be taking part in this year’s Walk of Smiles, as he has done for the past few years because he is Patron to the charity, Bethany’s Smile.  This time the walk is on June 1st and, as always, will be Fancy Dress optional (or wear lots of colour) – outfits to make people Smile! More details may be found below:

Registration is on the day from 9.30am at Redbeck Field, Layton Road, Rawdon, Leeds 19 where bacon butties and hot and cold drinks will be available.

The walk will set off at 10.30am with free refreshments for all walkers at the half way point. All walkers will receive free entry into the Rawdon Fun Day and also a Certificate of Completion signed by actor Matthew Lewis (aka Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter) who is Patron to Bethany’s Smile.

There will be prizes for the best child and best adult outfit and also a prize for the most sponsor money raised.

Rawdon Fun Day: lots to see and do including: live unusual birds of prey displays, galloping acrobats, bounty castles, fire department car rescues, food, bar, fairground rides, trampolines, live bands, real ale, champagne tent, a variety of trade and entertainment stalls, plus the famous radon welly wanging championship and much, much more…

Matthew Lewis has joined other stars in The Fairtrade Foundation ‘March of the Mini Army’ to call for a better deal for smallholder farmers. According to the press release:

[…] the celebrities are all mini three-inch versions of themselves. But the real celebrities have signed an online petition calling for a fairer deal for small farmers, along with thousands of campaigners up and down the UK. Every digital signature has been transformed into a personalised mini character, courtesy of start-up company Foldable.Me, to represent these Fairtrade supporters who have signed the petition and create the first ever paper march on Parliament.

The digital campaign is a partnership between creative agency Karmarama and the Fairtrade Foundation. The aim was to find an interesting new way to petition parliament and creating a mini march representing all the people who are supporting the campaign is an  innovative and powerful way to make a statement to David Cameron to go further for small farmers.

Fairtrade is already working in many places around the world but needs a greater international commitment to help empower the people that help put food on our plates. It is hoped that today’s march will urge the government to raise the issue at the upcoming G8 summit. A physical version of the petition will be presented to Number 10 Downing Street ahead of World Fair Trade Day (11 May).

Last week the Fairtrade Foundation launched a hard hitting report, Powering Up Smallholder Farmers to Make Food Fair, that highlights the pivotal role of small farmers in world agriculture. Around 70 per cent of the world’s food is grown by small farmers, most of them women. And yet these farmers do not have enough say in their working conditions or the supply chains they underpin. They have been neglected for far too long and it is hoped today’s march will bring their cause to light.

The Fairtrade Foundation is calling on the government to implement a five point agenda for action to address their needs.

[…]

We still need you to sign the online petition at www.fairtrade.org.uk/jointhemarch. Although it’s too late to join the start of the march at Parliament Square, you can still create a mini version of yourself to join the virtual march online ahead of the hand-in to Downing Street.

Earlier this evening Matthew Lewis attended the first Walk of Smiles Fashion Show to help draw the names of winners in a raffle held at the event.  So far only one photo of the event has made it’s way online, thanks to Multitude Media, and it can be seen in the gallery.  The album will be updated as more photos appear!

Bethany Hare founded the charity to help children with illnesses and has already raised more than £18,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice.  Matthew has been a long time supporter, attending various events, and is now a patron for the charity. All funds raised went to Bethany’s Smile to support the care of children with life threatening, chronic and life limiting illnesses, outside the hospice environment.

The Ilkley Gazette has also posted a short article on the event:

Bethany’s mum Yvonne Hare said: “The support has been unbelievable. Matthew Lewis is definitely coming and ten outfits have been donated by designers. They are absolutely stunning dresses. We are going to Asda this afternoon to chose 30 kid’s outfits and 21 adult outfits in two hours. Then we have got a rehearsal tonight. It is absolute madness.” She added: “We could have sold three times as many tickets as we are allowed – which is so frustrating. We could only sell 300 because of health and safety reasons.”

We will post more information about the event as soon as it is revealed.

UPDATE: Added two more photos thanks to Hannah-Rose who was a photographer for the event. She also shared some more information about what Bethany is hoping to do with the money raised:

[…] build ‘Smile Cottage’, “a place where families can spend quality time and build happy memories, when they only have a little bit of time to spend together” for whatever reason. Bethany hopes this build can be by the sea, so it becomes a tranquil, resting place for those families.

This past weekend Matthew Lewis visited the Burley Lodge Youth Centre to be quizzed as part of his support for Comic Relief and is the “Community Cash Champion,” backing the Yorkshire Evening Post’s giveaway of £100,000 Red Nose Day Community Cash.  There is an accompanying photo, which you can view in the gallery.

Of his involvement he said, “I’ve been watching Red Nose Day since I was a boy growing up. I was more than happy to be a part of it when the opportunity came up.”  And of the particular day’s events he noted that “all of the kids have been so engaging. You always hope you can in some kind of way be a bit of an inspiration. You want to come and help out, and all the kids have been so brilliant. It’s a real pleasure for me to come down here.”

Red Nose Day Community Cash grants of £500-£1,000 are available to small, locally-run organisations doing great work to help local people living tough lives in disadvantaged or deprived areas of Leeds.

To apply for a Red Nose Day Community Cash grant, visit: www.leedscf.org.uk/apply-for-grant/open-grants-programme/ before Friday, March 8.