Variety, the Children’s Charity, names ‘Pretty Woman’ lead, Aimee Atkinson, a Celebrity Ambassador

VARIETY / AGILITYPR.NEWS / July 24, 2020 /  

23rd July 2020

Variety, the Children’s Charity, names ‘Pretty Woman’ lead, Aimee Atkinson, a Celebrity Ambassador

Variety, the Children’s Charity, is delighted to announce that Aimee Atkinson, best-known for her leading role in ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’, a critically-acclaimed London West End show, has today been named a Variety Celebrity Ambassador, in recognition of her support for the charity. She will be officially appointed to the role when the COVID-19 crisis has passed and life returns to normal.

Prior to her ‘Pretty Woman’ performance, the award-winning stage actress and singer has had leading roles in a lot of hit musicals, including ‘In the Heights’ and ‘Six, the Musical’.

Aimee has said that she is pleased and proud to join the incredible array of stars in the entertainment industry who are Variety Celebrity Ambassadors, and will do everything she can to promote the charity, thereby helping the sick, disabled and disadvantaged children that the charity supports.

Chief Barker, Dilly Williamson, together with Celebrity Chair, Malcolm Brenner, and Celebrity Manager, Caroline Monk, are thrilled to welcome Aimee to the Variety family.

Aimee has also agreed to model an ‘I Love Variety’ face mask, which can be purchased from https://www.masksuk.com/variety-charity-masks/. The masks, which are available for £12.49 (incl. P&P) and come in a range of sizes, will raise funds to help thousands of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK who are supported by Variety.  £5 from the sale of each mask will go towards the charity – www.variety.org.uk  

Variety Chief Barker, Dilly Kitchlew-Williamson, said: “Variety has a rich heritage of receiving support from the show business community, and so it is only right that we continue to move forward and work with the stars of today. Over the years, celebrities have dedicated their time to the charity and we know that, with Aimee's support, alongside our other celebrities, we can mobilise even more people around the country to help Variety to improve the lives of children and young people who are less fortunate than others.”

The presenter star joins a long line of illustrious celebrities who have supported Variety since its inception. The charity has its roots in the showbiz industry, and Sir Michael Caine, Dame Barbara Windsor, Sir Cliff Richard, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Joan Collins and Brian May are just some of the many stars who have pledged their backing in previous years, and helped contribute towards Variety’s rich entertainment heritage.

Variety, the Children’s Charity, is dedicated to supporting children and young people across the UK who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged, facilitating positive experiences for them through its wide range of programmes and initiatives. Since setting up its UK division in 1949, the charity has raised over £200 million and supported more than 800,000 children.

To find out more about Variety, the Children’s Charity, or to donate to its various projects, please visit www.variety.org.uk

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact Caroline Monk:

caroline.monk@variety.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

About the ‘I Love Variety’ face mask

The three-layered, 100% cotton nanotechnology face mask helps filter the air and guard against droplets that enter or leave through your mouth and nose, which may reduce the chance of spreading airborne and droplet illnesses. The mask is machine washable up to 100 times. The outer layer uses cotton nanotechnology for ultra-water-resistance, while the inner layers are breathable and made of a moisture-wicking cotton muslin cloth.

About Variety

Variety believes that neither disability nor disadvantage should prevent any child or young person from realising their full potential. Since being founded in October 1949, the charity has supported over one million disabled and disadvantaged children.

When statutory funding cannot adequately meet a child’s needs, Variety steps in. To ensure that it can respond specifically to the needs of each individual child, Variety provides support in the following four ways:

• Through the provision of specially adapted, accessible transport in the form of their famous Sunshine Coaches, making it possible for children and young people to get out and about so that they can learn practical life skills and enjoy trips out to places they otherwise couldn’t get to;

• Through the provision of customised wheelchair grants, helping to increase mobility and improve independence;

• Through the provision of specialist equipment grants which support a child’s development or ability to self-care; and 

• Through memorable experiences in the form of the Variety Great Days Out programme which provides educational and fun day trips.

Variety launched in the United States in 1928 and now operates in 13 countries across the world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Jersey, Republic of Ireland, France, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean), helping children at the local community level.

Variety is a registered charity in England and Wales (209259) and Scotland (SC038505)

Follow Variety, the Children’s Charity on twitter @VarietyGB or www.facebook.com/VarietyGB

About Huddersfield Textiles/ MasksUK

Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK is primarily a cloth and suiting manufacturer. The company has been making cloth in Huddersfield for the last 400 years. When business came to a halt due to the pandemic, the company diversified its operations and began manufacturing nanotechnology masks. It is able to manufacture both the cloth and the masks. In a normal business environment, the company’s client base is worldwide, servicing tailors, costumers and film companies across the globe. Entertainment industry clients that Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK supplies include Universal Studios and Warner Brothers. Uniform cloth clients include British Army, Royal Air force and the Navy. In terms of suiting cloth, Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK has 12,000 customers globally, from Moscow, to Saville Row and New York. In addition to this, Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK supplies cloth to manufacturers and retailers such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Arcadia Group and several Italian, Korean, Japanese and American manufacturers. Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK is also a premier partner of the global Rake brand. 

Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK’s diversified mask manufacturing service supplies retail customers such as West Midlands Police Force, Red Bull Racing Technologies, Howden Joinery LTD and the British Government for key worker packs, to name but a few. The company has currently supplied over 10 million masks to various organisations, companies and individuals countrywide. With their masks voted as one of the top five items to be included in a post-lockdown handbag by the magazine Top Sante, Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK has become a leader of reusable mask manufacturing. Face masks manufactured by Huddersfield Textiles/Masks UK are considered more economical and better for the environment than disposable masks. They come in biodegradable packaging with a leaf seal sticker.