Simon Cowell pledges to donate £1.3 million to help charities that are struggling amid coronavirus crisis
- The music mogul, 60, revealed in The Sun on Saturday that he was ‘devastated’ to hear that charities, such as Shooting Star Children’s hospice, were struggling
- In his own column, Simon said he would be taking on £500,000 of the deficit faced by Shooting Star and would also continue his current pledges
- Simon also revealed that he and his team at Syco are giving £800,000 to be split between Feeding Britain and Feeding America
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Simon Cowell has pledged to donate £1.3 million to charities that have been hit hard amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The music mogul, 60, revealed in The Sun on Saturday that he was ‘devastated’ to hear that charities, such as Shooting Star Children’s hospice, were struggling to continue their services due to the ‘knock-on effect’ of the global pandemic.
In his own column for the publication, Simon said that he would be taking on £500,000 of the deficit faced by Shooting Star, which he is Vice-President of, and he would also continue his pledges that were already in place.
Promise: Simon Cowell pledged to donate £1.3 million to help charities struggling amid coronavirus crisis, as he spoke about the impact the pandemic has had on them, on Friday
The Britain’s Got Talent judge also said that he would donate to other charities, and will show his support for Feeding Britain and Feeding America
Simon explained: ‘I have also decided with my team at Syco to donate $1,000,000 (£800,000) towards the immediate needs of some of the most vulnerable people impacted by this virus, and this will be split between Feeding Britain and Feeding America, where I work and live.
‘I don’t like celebrities telling people what to do, and I know this is a hugely difficult time for so many — worries about family, health, jobs, paying the mortgage and feeding their family are at the forefront of people’s minds.
‘But there are still other people in business and in entertainment with resources available. So today it’s those people I’m urging to rise to this enormous challenge.’
Kind: Simon said Syco will ‘donate $1,000,000 towards the immediate needs of some of the most vulnerable people impacted by this virus’ (pictured with children involved with charity)
Shooting Star were forced to close one of their two hospices and their charity shops in the wake of the coronavirus crisis impacting their funding, Simon wrote.
The charity helps 800 families with children and young people who are struggling with life-threatening conditions, and Simon has been working with them since 2002.
Simon added that he hoped the global pandemic would bring the public together, and will help people ‘see the world differently.’
The X Factor judge has been enjoying some downtime with his family ever since California was plunged into a lockdown last week due to the pandemic.
Simon shares son Eric, six, with long-term girlfriend Lauren Silverman, and new legislation in the state warned residents to ‘stay at home’ in a bid to tackle the current COVID-19 crisis that has swept the globe.
California’s governor on Thursday issued an unprecedented statewide ‘stay at home order’ directing the state’s 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future in the face of the fast-spreading disease.
Family man: Simon has been enjoying some downtime with his son Eric, six, and longterm girlfriend Lauren Silverman ever since California was plunged into a lockdown last week