Acorns Children’s Hospice is so proud to have the support of an incredible team of dedicated Celebrity Ambassadors, who generously give their time, voice, influence and support to help Acorns help children and their families.
From sporting stars, to TV and radio icons and legends from the comedy hall of fame, we’re proud to partner with incredible ambassadors who have achieved success across varied industries.
Find out more about them below!
Gabriel Agbonlahor, former Aston Villa striker, is proud to join Acorns as our newest ambassador. Born and raised in Birmingham, Gabby spent 11 seasons with The Villans. His dedication, passion and unforgettable performances cemented Gabby as a true club icon.
Since retiring from professional football Gabby has become a much-loved pundit on TalkSPORT, known for his energetic presence. Now, he’s taking on a new role, supporting children with short lives through his ambassadorship with Acorns.
Gabby brings passion and drive to Acorns, advocating for life limited and life threatened children and their families. His deep connection to Birmingham inspires his commitment to giving back to the community that supported him throughout his career. Gabby uses his platform to raise awareness for Acorns families and inspire positive change.
Nicholas Bailey, renowned for his role in Eastenders and his impressive theatre career, is delighted to join Acorns as our newest Ambassador. Since returning to his hometown of Birmingham, Nick has passionately dedicated his time to advocating for diversity, inclusive leadership, multicultural history, and improving the learning experience of disadvantaged children.
In 2024, Nick embraces his role as an advocate for the children and families here at Acorns, bringing his unwavering dedication and enthusiasm to the forefront. Beyond his advocacy work, Nick has been a research fellow at the University of Birmingham and has forged a second career as a leadership coach and consultant. Outside of these activities, Nicholas works as a life coach and enjoys biohacking, motivational speaking, fitness and spending quality time with his family and friends, both old and new.
Nick says “There is no community without communion and that requires meeting the needs of everyone within that community. I am truly honoured to be able to lend my energy to supporting Acorns and the families it serves, through unimaginable challenges. I’ve seen, first hand, the thoughtfulness, determination and dedication of Acorns stakeholders. It’s humbling and, as they face economic uncertainty, I’ll do all I can to help them provide even more vital and needed care to some of the most challenged among us.”
Kia Pegg, best known as a CBBC presenter and actress, captured hearts with her portrayal of Jody Jackson in the popular children’s drama The Dumping Ground. In 2022, she then took on the role of Scarlett Kiernan, a beloved receptionist in the BBC soap Doctors, filmed just round the corner from Acorns in Selly Oak. Kia is thrilled to join Acorns as its latest Ambassador, and she cannot wait to get stuck in.
Kia’s infectious energy can now be seen every weekend on CBBC Saturday Mash-Up Live, whether she’s hosting or getting slimed! Having begun her acting career at a young age, Kia’s determination and dedication to succeed are qualities she brings to her role at Acorns. With unwavering passion and commitment, she’s eager to make a meaningful impact.
From regional theatre to the Hollywood Hills, John Scott’s diverse career as a costume supervisor saw him work on iconic films including Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Notting Hill and Tomb Raider. Today, he’s a beloved fashion guru and sewer, presenting on many TV platforms including Sewing Street but also keeping his loyal army of followers entertained at John Scott’s Sewing World. John has been an avid supporter of Acorns for many years, having first come through our doors over 20 years ago when his reporting career with the ITV show “This Morning” brought him to Acorns in Selly Oak also when he won Celebrity Weakest Link his winnings were donated to Acorns.
Now, as he returns to the West Midlands, John is overjoyed that he will be joining us as our newest Ambassador. For John, Acorns truly did transform his opinion of what a hospice is. Witnessing our work firsthand inspired him to support us and help us make a difference by boosting the love and laughter inside our walls.
John is determined to support Acorns in any way he can to educate and raise awareness to the public about the incredible work Acorns does throughout the West Midlands. When John isn’t bringing the sewing community together or rallying his loyal audience for a new sewing challenge, John can be spotted sporting his Acorns T-shirt around town – or even overseas!
Liberty Poole, who since her debut in 2021 on Love Island and later Dancing on Ice is embracing new challenges with confidence and passion. Today, Liberty focuses her energy on empowering women, promoting body positivity, and challenging societal norms through her latest venture in hosting, TV and radio. Liberty aims to inspire the public to think differently and embrace positive change.
In addition to her advocacy work, Liberty is now proud to take on an exciting new role as an Ambassador for Acorns, supporting children and families in her local community. This brings her back to her lifelong passion for helping children, and she is eager to channel her drive into supporting the hundreds of children and families we work with here at Acorns. Liberty has already hit the ground running, and we can’t wait to see the incredible impact she will make.
Janice Connolly BEM, aka Barbara Nice – actress, comedian, and artistic director Janice Connolly is thrilled to be the newest Ambassador for Acorns. Janice has resided in Birmingham for 40 years, having moved from Stockport when she was younger. During this period, she has run the triple award-winning Women and Theatre organisation in Birmingham.
Janice is dedicated to bringing about social change and wants to give voices to people who aren’t often heard. Janice also ran a project called Laughing for a Change, which encourages comedians and audiences to talk about mental health. She is particularly passionate about raising awareness about the everyday struggles that individuals with mental health face and the fact that it should be a matter of open discussion to increase chance of getting support and help. Janice is delighted for the position she holds at Acorns, because it allows her to offer her voice up in support of all children and their families.
Curious about working in partnership with Acorns? Could you give your time to support life limited children and their families? We’d love to welcome you to Acorns, to show you how your support could help life limited children.
Have you gained the support of a celebrity in aid of Acorns? Whether you have organised an event or connected your client with charity work in support of Acorns, we’d love to hear about it and send our thanks.
A star from TV’s Strictly Come Dancing paid a fab-u-lous visit to Acorns Children’s Hospice giving youngsters and families the cha-cha-chance to dance.
We are incredibly grateful for the passion and dedication of our wonderful Ambassador, Kia Pegg, a BAFTA-nominated actor, children’s TV presenter and host.
Star of stage and screen and proud Acorns Ambassador, Nicholas Bailey has shown incredible commitment and support for Acorns and the children and families we care for.
We’re delighted to announce that former Aston Villa striker and proud Brummie, Gabby Agbonlahor, has joined Acorns as our newest Ambassador.
Acorns is incredibly grateful for the continued support of our wonderful Ambassador, John Scott. Over the past two years, John has worked to raise awareness of our vision to provide outstanding specialist care.
On Thursday 7 December 2023, the world lost a remarkable soul – Benjamin Zephaniah. A trailblazing poet, writer, musician, activist, and proud Brummie. Benjamin left an indelible mark on British culture and on the hearts of all who knew him.
Gaye has been part of the Acorns family for an incredible 35 years and it’s hard to imagine our hospice without Gaye’s warm smile.
Ozzy Osbourne was more than a music legend, he was a proud Brummie whose compassion touched the hearts of the children and families at Acorns. We reflect on his remarkable legacy and the unforgettable support he gave when it mattered most.
An online sensation and former Love Island star brought some glitz and glamour to Acorns Children’s Hospice when she hosted a special pamper day – and it was ‘skincredible’.
Acorns is grateful to TV Star Livi Sheldon for giving time to support the fete at her local Acorns hospice. Livi connected with our children and their families, who were delighted to meet Worcester’s own sporting star and fitness icon!
The future of the funding – known as the Children’s Hospice Grant – is uncertain, meaning Acorns may be forced to cut vital services.
Benjamin Zephaniah will be remembered by Acorns for the amount of pure joy he brought to children and families.
Organisers were left ‘speechless’ as an amazing £15,000 was raised during an evening of culinary exploration when the Birmingham community came together to support Acorns
Masterchef winner Dan Lee cooked up a winning dish to help Acorns Children’s Hospice launch its brand new, state-of-the-art kitchen.