Category: Philanthropy

Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen

L-R: Damian, his sister Amanda Yaxley, his brother Gareth Lewis, and brother in-law Charles Yaxley during the bike ride in memory of Hugo and Helen in June 2022

I find it beyond impressive when families turn their tragic losses into good for many others in memory of the loved ones they lost. Ride4Hugo, a campaign Damian’s family run in memory of Hugo Yaxley, Damian and Helen’s nephew, who tragically died in a car accident in November 2020, and also in memory of Helen, who passed away only 5 months after Hugo’s accident, is an extraordinary effort aimed to do good for so many people.

2025 is marking the 5th anniversary of Hugo’s car accident and almost five years since the passing of Helen McCrory. So Hugo’s older brother Tom is getting ready to take on new bike challenges this year to raise funds for charities close to Hugo’s and Helen’s hearts as well as the family’s: Place2Be, Sir HvH Arts, and The Air Ambulances UK.

Here is a recent note from Tom on Instagram about the upcoming Air Base Challenge in which he will ride to all 21 UK Air Ambulances, including Northern Ireland Air Ambulance! These ambulances are funded by the public, and they are on standby 24/7 all year in case you or one of your loved ones need it. Continue reading “Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen”

“My Song” – Damian Lewis: The Story of a Photograph and The McCrory Award

“These are kids who otherwise would have no access to the arts and no space in which to express themselves freely, fully and joyfully. It’s brilliant what Debbi and HvH ARTS does. It’s incredible what it achieves. And I’m extremely proud to call myself its Patron.” — Damian Lewis

“My Song” – Damian Lewis by photographer and HvH Arts CEO Debbi Clark

This post is past due.

I bought this photograph by Debbi Clark, an accomplished professional photographer who is also the founder and CEO of Sir Hubert Von Herkomer Arts Foundation (HvH Arts in short) back in 2022 in support of The McCrory Award. 100% of the proceeds from art sales on HvH Arts Gallery fund this award, given annually in memory of Helen McCrory, to gifted unprivileged young people so they can have access to resources and training they need to fulfill their dreams. Continue reading ““My Song” – Damian Lewis: The Story of a Photograph and The McCrory Award”

From Dick Winters to Steve McQueen: The “American” Damian Lewis

“This sounds absurdly pretentious, but the American Damian, I’m sort of oddly comfortable with him.” – Damian Lewis

A Guardian article from July 2015 talks about Brits versus Yanks in Hollywood:

“The invasion of British and Irish leading men in Hollywood has now gone beyond a joke for many in the American entertainment industry. First noticed some time in 2011, the trend was initially dismissed as a novelty: an interesting phase that would pass, rather than as a threat. But this summer actors and directors are calling for action to mobilise American drama teachers and schools to counter it.”

So Hollywood has finally taken notice and is now somehow mobilizing to defend its territory against the British invasion 😀 Well, maybe it is too little too late at this point? I mean, it is not that the Brits are coming, but they have already arrived. Besides, Vanity Fair says “victory is assured” in the video clip below, with fabulous ginger alert at 0:29, about which I blogged about earlier here! Continue reading “From Dick Winters to Steve McQueen: The “American” Damian Lewis”

Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen

L-R: Damian, his sister Amanda Yaxley, his brother Gareth Lewis, and brother in-law Charles Yaxley during the bike ride in memory of Hugo and Helen in June 2022

I find it beyond impressive when families turn their tragic losses into good for many others in memory of the loved ones they lost. Ride4Hugo, a campaign Damian’s family run in memory of Hugo Yaxley, Damian and Helen’s nephew, who tragically died in a car accident in November 2020, and also in memory of Helen, who passed away only 5 months after Hugo’s accident, is an extraordinary effort aimed to do good for so many people.

2025 is marking the 5th anniversary of Hugo’s car accident and almost five years since the passing of Helen McCrory. So Hugo’s older brother Tom is getting ready to take on new bike challenges this year with the first one coming up only in a few weeks in the Scottish Highlands!

And Tom is doing this only to raise funds for charities close to Hugo’s and Helen’s and the family’s hearts: Place2Be, Sir HvH Arts, and The Air Ambulances UK.

Continue reading “Ride4Hugo 2025 in Memory of Hugo and Helen”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s Feed NHS

It was exactly five years ago that the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic, leading to stay-at-home orders and a months-long lockdown across the world. And as most of us stayed home doing not much, two people (and we now know that one of them was quite sick) led an extraordinary fundraising effort for the NHS personnel. Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory, along with their partners, raised more than £1.5 million pounds to provide hot and healthy meals for the NHS staff during the Covid-19 crisis. So why don’t we go back to March 2020 today and re-visit Damian and Helen launching and managing Feed NHS?
Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s Feed NHS”