Hollywood icon Stephen Graham and his actress wife Hannah Walters have become Patrons of LOROS after an ‘inspirational’ visit to the Hospice led them to embark on two weeks of bucket collecting, which raised nearly £2,500.
The special appointments came two weeks after the couple, who live in Ibstock, visited the Hospice earlier this month where they met patients, families, staff and volunteers.
Stephen and his actress wife Hannah ‘proudly’ accepted the Hospice’s invitation for them to become Patrons on Monday, after raising £2,346 for LOROS.
Stephen, who is best known for his roles in This is England, Snatch and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as television series Boardwalk Empire and more recently Little Boy Blue and Taboo said: “We feel honoured and privileged to become Patrons of LOROS.
“We left inspired after our visit thanks to not only the patients but the staff too, right the way through from those who work in admin, to the nurses.
“We drive past LOROS at least once a week, it’s great to be able to support a local organisation which is right on our doorstep.”
Since visiting the Hospice, Stephen has been taking a LOROS bucket and a Lionel the LOROS Lion cuddly toy everywhere with him, from film premiers in London to local football matches in Leicestershire.
Stephen has also managed to get Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey, Iron Man actor Paul Bettany and film star Asa Butterfield, to pose with the bucket, creating a huge response across social media.
Hannah, who starred alongside Stephen in This is England and Pirates of the Caribbean and has also appeared in the likes of BBC series Whitechapel added: “When we visited the Hospice, it was like we were coming into a beautiful, light home.
“There is a wonderful energy at LOROS, a closeness, like we’re all one big family, it’s amazing.”
The couple also spent the day bucket collecting along with their two children, Alfie and Grace, in Leicester’s Highcross.
The duo said they were ‘amazed’ by the generosity from people who responded to their bucket collecting.
“The response was overwhelming,” said Stephen.
“It’s the interaction with people that we loved; being able to speak to them about why they are donating and equally about why we were collecting.”
As official Patrons of the charity, the couple have already signed up for next year’s Into the Wild event and hope to continue their support for LOROS whenever they can, around their busy schedules.
LOROS CEO John Knight said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Stephen and Hannah on board, as official LOROS patrons.
“The support and commitment they have shown us over the past two weeks, despite how busy they are not only at work but with two children too, is fantastic and quite inspirational.
“We, are in fact the privileged ones for gaining support from such a remarkable couple and as an organisation, we are very much looking forward to building a strong relationship with them.”
Follow in Stephen and Hannah’s footsteps by fundraising for LOROS yourself by visiting loros.co.uk/support-us.
If you too want to join the couple going ‘Into the Wild’ next July, then sign up by visiting loros.co.uk/wild
