Michael Sheen raises over £110k for Welsh charities

An organisation that runs fundraising campaigns on behalf of Michael Sheen has raised over £110,000 for charities and causes supported by the Welsh actor.

The White Curl (TWC), is run by two volunteers who work alongside the actor, who hails from Port Talbot, to raise funds for Welsh charities through unique merchandise and auction campaigns.

A small group of supporters volunteer their time and skills to help with designing the products which are auctioned off to raise money.

Donations raised from campaigns supported by Michael Sheen have supported charities in Wales such as Llamau, Huggard, Voices From Care Cymru, CW+, Adferiad Recovery and the Everybody Deserves a Christmas appeal run by Carolyn Harris MP.

TWC’s Staged campaign, featured merchandise created by Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Anna Lundberg, and Georgia Tennant and raised over £28,000.

A recent campaign saw Sheen and the TWC team set up a fundraising page and online auction where people could bid for various items including signed polaroids.

Photo shoot

One of the items was a Welsh dragon drawn by the actor himself which was reproduced on merchandise after the original picture was auctioned off.

The campaign has so far raised over £31,000 and the funds will be used to help send the Wales team to the Homeless World Cup in the US.

In 2021, TWC ran an auction of one-of-a-kind polaroids of Michael in and around London to capture a moment in time while he was performing in Under Milk Wood at the National Theatre.

One of the photos sold for £3,085 and the auction, coupled with a reprint store of posters and prints, raised over £20,000 for Adferiad Recover.

Last year, Michael took part in a photo shoot at Margam Country Park to create a calendar and prints showcasing the beautiful part of Wales.

The campaign benefited the Everyone Deserves a Christmas appeal run by Carolyn Harris MP and the donations were able to help feed hundreds of families across Wales during the holiday season.

The White Curl covers the cost of producing and shipping every order so the entirety of each donation goes directly to the charity, allowing for the highest donations possible.

Community

Many supporters have donated over the cost of their order to give a little more and TWC say this “spirit of giving and community” is what best represents the organisation.

Michael Sheen said: “Over the past three years I’ve had the privilege of being involved with The White Curl. The campaigns they create to support and uplift those in need are truly inspiring and I am honoured to both know and work with the creative team behind all of this incredible fundraising.

“I firmly believe in the power of community and the ability to have the greatest impact when we all come together to achieve a goal, and TWC epitomises that concept. I am proud of the work that went into reaching this milestone and I’m excited about the future possibilities we can create!”

TWC Director, Lynn McNally said: “When I consider where this all started it’s truly incredible to see how far we’ve come after just a handful of campaigns with Michael. This milestone represents a tremendous amount of work but it also puts a spotlight on a growing global community of the most generous people we know.

“We are so grateful for that community and for the charities that have welcomed our unique fundraising model with such open arms. We owe endless thanks to Michael for going on the journey with us, we’ve had an immense amount of fun working with him and we’re excited for the future!”