Celebrity supporters
Theirworld is fortunate to receive support from a number of incredible celebrities – some of who also serve as Theirworld Ambassadors. They promote our campaigns and raise awareness worldwide of our mission and the work we do.
Our Ambassadors
Campaigns where we've received celebrity support
BBC Radio 4 appeal voiced by David Tennant
In early January 2023 our BBC Radio 4 appeal, voiced by David Tennant, was broadcast. The appeal highlighted the impact that conflict can have on children’s education and how important it is to get refugee children back into school. Through the broadcast vital funds were raised which will help us in our work to give all children a safe place to learn.
David Tennant has been a long time supporter of Theirworld having helped out work for the past 15 years. Back in 2021 he also voiced a Theirworld video highlighting the role of education in addressing some of the greatest challenges we currently face, from climate change to civil unrest. The video was a powerful way to raise awareness for the global education crisis and urge world leaders to step up and invest in education.
Christmas Carol Concert - Bill Nighy performs a reading
In December 2022 we hosted a festive carol concert in partnership with our corporate partner Reed Smith. The night was attended by over 300 people who enjoyed traditional carols and readings by some of our well-known supporters including actor Bill Nighy.
Reed Smith Charity Quiz - Ed Balls as quizmaster
Our corporate partner Reed Smith hosts an annual quiz night in order to raise funds for Theirworld. In 2022 Ed Balls kindly took on the role of quiz master adding personality and enthusiasm to the quiz questions and the night in general.
The event is always well-attended and with fun questions presented by Ed and a positive atmosphere all round, thousands of pounds were raised to help us in our work.
June Sarpong backs the #LetMeLearn Campaign
Theirworld and the Global Business Coalition for Education hosted an evening event on 19th September 2022 during the United Nations General Assembly week. The event served to celebrate and further progress the outcomes of the Transforming Education Summit held that day and mark the success of the #LetMeLearn campaign.
June Sarpong kindly emceed the evening, bringing together world leaders and education ministers to talk about the vital need to fund education around the world.
Theirworld, Your Walk - Nick Sharratt took on the challenge!
Award-winning author and illustrator – and Brighton & Hove resident – Nick Sharratt has walked 26 miles to raise money for the 260 million children around the world currently out of school.
Completing the challenge over two days, Nick’s walk took him along the South Coast, walking from Rottingdean to Lancing and back, via his home in Hove.
Steve Nguyen Presents: Theirworld, Our stories
Launched on World Storytelling Day in 2021, Theirworld ambassador Steve Nguyen collaborated with four of our Global Youth Ambassadors (GYAs) to create a series of colourful graphic stories portraying the paths they took to become advocates for education.
The Education Game - voiced by Pearl Mackie
In September 2020, Theirworld created a new Snakes and Ladders Education Game to highlight the education crisis facing millions of children around the world.
The Education Game showed education should never be a game of chance – and the campaign was supported by Doctor Who star Pearl Mackie, who also voiced The Game film.
Nick Sharratt’s #StillLearning campaign
As part of Theirworld’s #StillLearning campaign, author and illustrator Nick Sharratt invited families to share their children’s drawings on social media showing how they were still learning at home during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Celebrities walk Scottish Coastal Path to raise funds for Theirworld
Charity President Sarah Brown – with Sandi Toksvig and partner Debbie, Kathy Lette and Arabella Weir – did the trek to help give children the best start in life in the summer of 2018.
The #WriteTheWrong video - voiced by Gwendoline Christie
Theirworld’s #WriteTheWrong campaign released a powerful film in 2018 highlighting the fact that nearly 260 million children do not go to school. The film was narrated by actor and child rights campaigner Gwendoline Christie, best known for her roles in Game of Thrones and the Star Wars series, and it was shown at the UN’s headquarters in New York and on giant billboards in Times Square.
Other celebrities showed their support online with Dynamo, Annie Lennox, Ben Winston, Steve Nguyen, Matt Lucas and Laura Bailey all tweeting about the campaign.
Dynamo: 72 Hours
In 2018, Dynamo visited Lebanon with Theirworld to make a film highlighting the plight of Syrian refugee children and the broken promises made to them by the international community.
In his film titled 72 Hours, Dynamo tells how he was inspired to take action on behalf of the 680,000 Syrian refugee children left out of school. You can read more about this project here.
Comedians are #5for5
When you’re a comedian, it’s child’s play to make people laugh. So a bunch of well-known comics grabbed the chance to act like toddlers in a series of videos supporting #5for5, Theirworld’s global campaign focussed on giving children aged 0-5 the best start in life.
Performers happy to don onesies for the cause included Matt Lucas, Rainn Wilson, Shappi Khorsandi, Nish Kumar, Wanjiku the Teacher, Jackie Tohn and Wendy Liebman.
Shakira is #UpForSchool
In 2015, Shakira delivered the world’s biggest ever petition for education – the #UpForSchool Petition, which received more than 10 million signatures.
A passionate advocate for children’s education, Shakira was a crucial campaigner for the #UpForSchool movement, mobilising the power of her hundreds of millions of followers on social media.