George Michael was a private philanthropist - like the rest of us | Beth Breeze

Much has been made of the singer’s secret donations, but people on lower incomes give proportionately more than wealthy donors without any fanfare

Last year was notable for a distressing spate of celebrity deaths from the worlds of music, film, sport and more. But George Michael’s premature death on Christmas Day sparked an outpouring, not just of grief, but also of revelations about the star’s covert and sizeable charitable giving. Newspapers carried reports that his lifelong philanthropy had only just “come to light” and a series of stories emerged on social media from people who now felt the time was right to reveal the singer’s good deeds.

We have learned that he made donations of five figures or more to charities including Comic Relief, the Terrence Higgins Trust, Help a London Child and Childline. He volunteered and fundraised for Macmillan Cancer Support, disaster relief funds and a homeless shelter. He made spontaneous gifts to individuals in need, including £15,000 to a Deal or No Deal contestant who needed the money to pay for IVF treatment and a £5,000 tip to a student nurse struggling with debt. And in 2006 he gave a free concert at London’s Roundhouse for nurses, in thanks for care received by him and his family.

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from Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2obe9PB