Date
30 November 2019
Location
Knebworth House, Knebworth (UK)
Fourth edition of a charity ball organised by Mandy & Ricky Wilde to raise funds for a radiotherapy unit at The Lister Hospital in Stevenage. There were live performances by ABC’s Martin Fry, The Fizz, Clive Jackson (Dr. & the Medics), Belouis Some, T’pau, Nik Kershaw and Kim Wilde.
Date
27 September 2019
Location
The Farmhouse at Redcoats, Hitchin (UK)
Kim Wilde and Benny Smith played a live concert for Tilehouse, a free counselling centre in Hitchin. They played several Motown songs, some covers and of course some Kim Wilde hits.
Tracks of my tears
How sweet it is
Lean on me
Wonderful world
Signed sealed delivered
They don’t know
Wonderful life
Big yellow taxi
Four letter word
You came
You keep me hangin’ on
Kids in America
Local charity based in Hertfordshire, of which Kim Wilde is a patron. It uses horticulture as a therapeutic tool to assist in helping homeless people, ex addicts, ex-offenders, socially excluded, people with mental health issues and depression and those recovering from a life crisis. The aim is to create a friendly and supportive environment for positive activity where participants, known as volunteers, can make new and supportive friendships and feel included in their local community.
Waste Not Want Not was founded by Isobel Barnes. It seeks and gains donations from organisations and members of the public – they give us their unwanted plants which would otherwise end up in landfill, we nurture them and sell them at our nursery. They are also given unwanted used items including fencing panels, mesh wire and other materials which are recycled and put to good use. Waste Not Want Not was established in June 2008. Originally people were referred from the Haven Hostel for the Homeless and the Living Room, a centre for people with addictive behaviours. Over the years the network of referring organisations has grown and includes North Herts College, YMCA, Ingeus, Mid Point, Westminster Drug project, Bedford Prison plus numerous self-referrals from the local community. The whole ethos behind Waste Not Want Not is inclusivity and through the delivery of our projects and initiatives we reach out and touch those with a real need.
Waste Not Want Not has 2 sites. The Learning Garden at the Hatfield Galleria carpark and the main site, The Roebuck which is situated just off Stevenage Road.
I first met Isobel in 2011 and was immediately taken by her boundless energy and enthusiasm for a project which helps so many vulnerable people – including those who have had major problems with addiction, homelessness, social exclusion or physical and mental health issues – I have been a Patron of this unique project ever since. All volunteers are made very welcome and work in a safe and friendly environment in a spirit of fun, friendship and mutual support with the potential to acquire new skills both in horticulture and in life. The project responds rapidly to the needs of some very exposed people who might otherwise slip through the care net. I do hope you get the chance to visit one our sites and purchase some of the great value plants. By doing so you will be supporting a invaluable project of which I am very proud to be the patron. I hope to see you all there. (1)
(1) Waste not want not website, retrieved March 2016
On 12 August 1990, Radio 1 UK organized the Sega Splash for Starlight (sponsored by Sega, hence the name), at Princes Club in Middlesex. Starlight is a charity that aims to fulfil the dreams of many seriously ill children.
Not only Kim Wilde, but also stars like Sinitta, Sonia, Aswad and members of Beats International turned up for the event. The day was spent doing some water games. The event was publicized all over Europe, mainly because of some very beautiful publicity photographs of Kim Wilde with Gary Davies (one of Radio 1’s DJ’s).
On 15 April 1990, Kim joined many other stars to help raise money for the Capital Radio appeal ‘Help a London Child’, an action to help underprivileged children the London area. One of the events organised was an auction of goods and oddities at the Duke of York Theatre in Londons West End.
Kims contribution during this event was to model a black suede and leather dress, donated by Northbeach Leather of Knightsbridge. The item raised 90 UK pounds for the charity.
On 6 March 1987, the ferry Herald of Free Enterprise, leaving Zeebrugge port in Belgium, overturned, killing nearly 200 people. Among the passengers were many British people, using a special offer in tabloid newspaper The Sun, allowing them to make the crossing for just one UK pound.
The newspaper soon organised the recording of a single to benefit the Sun’s Zeebrugge Disaster Fund, which was set up to raise money for victims of the disaster and relatives of the deceased. The recordings took place on 14, 15 and 16 March 1987, and only weeks later it was a Europe-wide chart success.
Among the performers of the chosen song, Let It Be, were Kate Bush, Boy George, Jaki Graham, Nik Kershaw, Mark Knopfler, Mel and Kim and of course Kim Wilde.
I didn’t think, when I heard, that this was a good thing to do. Making a record wasn’t the first thing that sprang to mind. I was very upset by what happened and I didn’t think it was appropriate to sing about it. I’m doing it because I’ve been told the families need the money but I feel very strange about it. (1)
I had very mixed feelings about Ferry Aid, I thought that it wasn’t in good taste, but at the end of the day I realised that it would raise a lot of money for the families of the victims. (2)
(1) Ferry Aid In: Smash Hits (UK), 8 April 1987
(2) The bimbo who made good In: Smash Hits (UK), May 1990
Kim Wilde has contributed items for many different auctions, usually for charity organisations. This (incomplete) listing gives you some indication of her involvement through the years.
Date
19 April 2015
Channel
BBC (UK)
Kim Wilde makes an appeal on behalf of the charity Thrive, which uses horticultural therapy to help vulnerable people.
Date
19 November 2004
Channel
BBC (UK)
In an item about ‘Children in need’, Kim appears briefly to look back on her appearance on the ‘Children in need’ programme in the early 1980’s.
Date
30 January 1991
Channel
BBC (UK)
News item about the Rock-a-baby concert, in which a few people, amongst which a doctor and Jools Holland, stress the importance of holding this benefit for a maternity unit in a hospital in Hackney, London, England.
Kim appears for a few seconds only. When it’s said that it seems we always have to rely on famous people to pull in the extra money that’s needed for these vital facilities, she says: ‘Well, I don’t have any problem with it myself at all, you know, if I get asked to do it next week I have to do the same thing.’
Date
18 August 1990
Channel
UK
Report of the Sega Splash for Starlight. Kim was one of the participants. During this report she can be seen a few times. There’s also a short interview with her.
Date
10 March 1989
Channel
BBC (UK)
Kim is asked a question while she is taking calls during the Comic Relief charity evening.
Kim, what are you doing later?
Oh, I’ll be appearing in a sketch with Neris later and also taking calls…
The sketch is called ‘The last waltz’ and is indeed shown later in the evening. Four older women (played by Felicity Kendal , Polly James, Caroline Blakiston and Linda McCartney) ponder on the harsh facts of getting older, then finally seem to accept the fact that life chisels one into a ‘work of art in the gallery of life’. Then Kim waltzes in and looks into a mirror, saying ‘is it this light, or am I putting on weight?’. The older women run off, quite distraught.
