Members of the public will be able to get their hands on a hand-written recipe from Stanley Tucci; an in-person cup of tea with Gillian Anderson; a signed microphone from Sade, used during the Soldier of Love recording sessions; a cast-signed script of Big Boys from Jack Rooke; the custom outfit Rachel Chinouriri wore during her Kentish Town Forum set to close her UK tour in 2024; Sam Ryder’s cosy cardigan; a Twisters: The Album vinyl signed by Daisy Edgar Jones; Claudia Winkleman’s “favourite sweater” worn on The Traitors; a pair of tickets to Big Feastival with the opportunity to share a glass of Britpop with Blur’s Alex James in the VIP section; and hand-written lyrics to AURORA’s Through the Eyes of a Child played in the final scene of Netflix’s Adolescence, among many other incredible prizes in War Child’s Spring Clean auction.
Spring Clean will run from 3rd – 24th April, giving fans the chance to get a one-of-a kind piece from their favourite stars, while raising money to support the charity’s work. No ordinary online auction, Spring Clean is a treasure hunt through the wardrobes, studios, and archives of some of the biggest names in music, film, fashion, and art, with exclusive memorabilia, rare collectibles and personal keepsakes all up for grabs in support of War Child.
The auction will also include special and unique items from the likes of Pendulum, Halestorm, The Lumineers, Alex Kapranos, Charlene White, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Jonny Flynn, Frank Turner, Dolly Alderton, James Bay, Chemical Brothers, Lucy Foley and more.
Charlotte Nimmo, Fundraising Engagement Director at War Child UK, said: “We are delighted to announce the second year of Spring Clean, made possible through the hugely generous support of the creative industries and remarkable individuals who have decided to donate this year. Initiatives like this are crucial in ensuring War Child can deliver our work to support children whose lives have been shattered by war. In light of the recent aid cuts, support from the public is more important than ever. To be able to have fun is so key to our work, whether that be through our programmatic teams delivering activities to children around the world, offering them hope where there may not have been any left, or by giving War Child supporters that bid in the auction the chance to get a piece of memorabilia from their favourite creative project or artist. A Spring Clean is the best way to start the season, and we hope this project inspires the public to get involved and support our vital work in the process.”
Gillian Anderson, actor and War Child Ambassador, said: “As a War Child Global Ambassador, I’m so proud to be supporting Spring Clean for its second year. This time around, I’m donating a cosy tea and chat with me and two of your friends at a favourite tea spot in London. Of course, all of this is for an incredibly urgent cause. Around the world, children are facing unrelenting trauma, caught in the middle of conflicts they should never be exposed to. War Child needs the public's support now more than ever, and by bidding on an item in this year's auction, whether it's tea with me or otherwise, people can make a real, meaningful impact on the life of a child who needs support most.”
Claudia Winkleman, TV presenter said, “It’s an honour to support War Child and I will always help in any small way that I can. This is my favourite sweater of all time. A brilliant woman made it for me and I actually skipped about when I opened it.”
Sam Ryder, award-winning artist said: “I was wearing that jacket in Serbia when we were shooting the music video for Somebody a couple of years ago and it was forty degrees. Don't worry, I've washed it. Thanks so much for supporting War Child, the best cause on this planet. All my love, peace, take care of yourselves.”
Sade, award-winning artist said: “This humble little mic was my constant companion while writing the songs on our album Soldier of Love, and remains the principal mic in those recordings. I’ve moved on now to grown up mics and though it breaks my heart a little to see it go, there's no better purpose than in support of War Child.”
Jack Rooke, comedian and writer said: "For War Child’s Spring Clean auction, I'm delighted to donate a pilot script Big Boys, signed by myself and the whole cast in the hopes that this can raise vital funds to support the children War Child works with. Big Boys has been a passion project for everyone involved since we started, and we've all been so glad to see so many people resonate with the stories depicted. I hope that this copy of this script inspires as much joy as we had creating this, and that it encourages people to support War Child in whatever way they can."
Alex Kapranos award-winning artist said: "I always associate particular items of clothing with different eras of the band. These shirts were worn during the Hits To The Head tour of which I have very fond memories. They went all around the world with me. I hope someone else enjoys wearing them as much as I did. They might need a dry clean first though."
Jill Furmanovsky award-winning photographer recalls, "The formidable Grace Jones, charismatic from head to toe. She was well on her way to becoming an icon but had not yet released the sublime Nightclubbing album with a powerful portrait of her by Jean-Paul Goude on the cover. For me, this was just a quick shoot in a hotel after an interview with a journalist. She wasn’t even in a private room, rather it all took place in a hotel lobby without any daylight. The picture’s strength comes from her direct eye-contact from behind shades, slightly menacing body language, and those killer red shoes with assassin heels.”
