FUNDRAISERS & ADVOCATES

Ritchi Edwards is an award winning English actor. He appeared in the West End production of The Long and Winding Road as The Beatles Manager Brian Epstein, and subsequently the stage production of Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters!  His film credits include Homeless Ashes, Blame, AWOL- Absent Without Love, and Are We Dead Yet?  

We are delighted that Ritchi has become an official Advocate for Born Free. 

He says: "I’ll be regularly sharing Born Free posts on my social media platforms, spreading the message far and wide. I think one huge aspect of what I’m trying to achieve is education. Animals have emotions and there is so much more to them than what we see!"

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Donna McKenzie from Falkirk is our first Community Group Leader, covering Scotland.

Donna says: “I am delighted to be Born Free's first Community Group Leader. Virginia has been my lifetime heroine and inspiration and I have been involved in this amazing charity for many years, including as a fundraiser. As well as making friends through volunteering, I know that every penny raised makes a difference to the animals, and that every person I speak to about Born Free could help alleviate animal suffering and help Keep Wildlife in the Wild.

“I’m hoping to work with volunteers in Scotland who can give as much or as little time and commitment as they are able to. People could organise their own events, help on stalls, help secure corporate support, donate raffle or auction prizes, or even just suggest ideas for fundraising. All help will be gratefully received and I'll support volunteers in any way I can.”

Made in Chelsea’s Tristan is joining our challenge team and raising money for Born Free to Keep Wildlife in the Wild and conserve their natural habitats. In October 2020, he is joining us to take on Mount Kenya, with altitudes up to 4,985m and difficult conditions – this is no mean feat!

While working as a safari guide in Botswana and South Africa, Tristan was inspired by African wildlife and now is raising money to protect Africa’s wildlife. During his time there, he saw first-hand, the damage that poaching and other exploitative activities do to the natural world and this motivated him to make the change, from the tourism sector, to activism and inspiring others!

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Born Free and Jess go back three generations – her grandparents were friends with conservationists Joy and George Adamson who successfully returned Elsa the lioness to the wild. They were also involved with the filming of the wildlife classic Born Free and the making of the film An Elephant Called Slowly, the story of captive elephant Pole Pole whose death led to the founding of Born Free.

In 2020, Jess is setting out to continue her grandparents’ legacy and to raise awareness of, and funding for, Born Free. She is going to swim, cycle, kayak, climb and hike her way over a minimum of 2,020km across 20 challenges; 20 for 2020. That's further than London to St. Petersburg. Or 54 marathons!  But as Jess explains: “The real perspective we need here is that the Earth belongs to all its inhabitants, yet for there to be a future, it is for us humans to make the right choices. It's now or never.”

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