Stars With Big Hearts
Whether it's raising awareness of cancer, working with disadvantaged children or campaigning for animal rights, these celebrities aren't just donating cheques. We celebrate the stars who have dedicated their time to helping charities and are using their fame and influence for a good cause.
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1. Emma Watson donates £1milion
Emma Watson has recently donated a huge £1million to a new organisation which helps those fighting sexual harassment. The star has also been heavily involved with promoting education for girls, and in 2014 she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
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2. Coldplay star Chris Martin is INCREDIBLY generous with his millions!
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has around $90 million in the bank (yes, really!), but he's recently admitted that he donates 10% of this to 28 different charities, including Amnesty International, City of Hope and the Red Cross. His fellow bandmates also give 10% of their money too. Keep up the incredibly generous work Coldplay!
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3. Mark Hamill visits hospital patients on Star Wars Day.
Mark Hamill made all the time in the world for those ill and recovering at a hospital in London, U.K., on Wednesday. The 64-year-old actor surprised patients at Guys Hospital in the city with a visit to mark Star Wars Day on May 4th.
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4. David Beckham to the rescue!
David Beckham surprised a paramedic and her elderly patient with a hot cup of tea and coffee when he spotted them in the cold waiting for an ambulance. Picture: Twitter
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5. Lionel Messi met the young Afghan boy who stole the internet's heart with this picture.
Messi met the five-year-old Afghan boy pictured on Facebook wearing a makeshift Messi shirt made out of a plastic bag. Picture: Facebook
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6. Jamie Foxx helped save a man's life.
One trucker can thank his lucky stars that the 48-year-old movie star was on hand to save his life after his truck rolled over and caught on fire. Brett Kyle was pulled from the burning site by Foxx and other good samaritans. "Jamie didn’t hesitate. He jumped out and ran to the car," a member of his team told ABC News of the accident. Picture: Instagram
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7. Jennifer Lawrence at Kosair Childrens Hospital.
The Hollywood actress visited Kosair Children's Hospital in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where she spent some of her free time cheering up young patients. During her annual visit, the Oscar winner happily posed for photos and chatted with families. Picture: Facebook
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8. Ed Sheeran helped his friend pay off her mortgage
Is there anything Ed Sheeran won't do for his pals? When a friend from the past, Amy Wage, was struggling to make ends meet, she approached Ed. He invited her to work with him they ended up writing a song together - ' Thinking Out Loud' - which was included on his Delux album. The revenue Amy earned from this song means that she 'never has to worry about money again'. Picture: Twitter
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9. Maisie Williams skydives to save the dolphins
'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams jumped out of a plane at 15,000ft to raise money for The Dolphin Project charity and Mencap. The star joined a specialist sky diving unit in Devon to take on the challenge, which involved a 60 second free fall. Nice work Maisie! Picture: Twitter Western Daily Press
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10. Tom Hanks reaches out to student who lost her I.D.
Further proving himself as quite possibly the NICEST guy in showbiz, Tom Hanks reached out to a pretty student named Lauren after finding her student card. He posted the image on Twitter with the caption: "Lauren! I found your Student ID in the park. If you still need it my office will get to you. Hanx."
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11. Taylor Swift does it again...
Taylor Swift turned down the chance to perform at a billionaire's wedding - and to be paid $2 million - and instead performed at the christening of her best friend Jaime King's son. The 25-year-old 'Bad Blood' singer was made godmother to Leo Thames by the 36-year-old 'White Chicks' actress. Picture: Instagram
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12. Ellie Goulding helped the homeless
Ellie Goulding reached out to help the homeless and spent Christmas Eve at her local shelter. The star dished out dinners to people in need, something she has done a couple of times before: "I've done it for a few years. It's fun." Ellie also put on a show with music pals Tom Odell and Bastille to raise money for the Streets of London homeless charity. She really is bringing Christmas cheer to the masses! Picture: Rex
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13. Victoria Beckham sold her wardrobe for charity
The former Spice Girl earned herself a reputation as a humanitarian and not just a fashionista. In 2014 alone, she became the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador to help raise awareness about AIDS, and she has raised thousands of pounds for charity by selling off clothing from her wardrobe to fashion savvy fans. Picture: Getty
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14. Keanu Reeves supports 'Stand Up to Cancer'
Although 'The Matrix' actor is a deeply private person, his charity giving actions are legendary. The star famously spends huge amounts of his salary supporting charities like Stand Up To Cancer and the SickKids Foundation, the latter of which helps fund important surgery and care for children in hospital who need it most. Not only this however, the 50-year-old actor reportedly once befriended a homeless man, with whom he spent hours sharing conversation and food with.
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15. Angelina Jolie fights to end war crimes
Recently bestowed with a damehood after making the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Angelina Jolie has a reputation as a fierce human rights campaigner. After adopting her eldest son, Maddox, from Cambodia, Jolie and Brad Pitt set up the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation dedicated to community development and environmental conservation. She recently highlighted the plight of women against whom rape is used as a weapon of war.
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16. Bob Geldof fights to support Africa
Bob Geldof famously co-founded Band Aid in 1984, which saw music stars come together for a charity single, before rallying up the biggest stars to perform at a concert to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia the following year. He is now is a member of the Africa Progress Panel, an independent authority that advocates sustainable development for Africa.
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17. Oprah Winfrey supports girls in South Africa
Oprah isn't just praised for her expensive TV show giveaways. She has donated millions of dollars to various charities and organisations, notably The Angel Network, The Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation and The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, which was initially created in 2007 to give money towards the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
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18. Elton John and David Furnish fight HIV and AIDS
Elton John and his husband David Furnish have been famed for their efforts in the fights against HIV and AIDS. Every year the music legend opens his house to hundreds of celebrities and guests for a themed 'White Tie and Tiara' ball to raise money for the foundation, and also holds post-Grammy and Oscar parties to raise money for the cause.
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19. George Clooney is the ultimate ambassador
George Clooney appears to have one of the most charitable hearts in Hollywood as he is an ambassador for over 30 charities including Oxfam, Unicef and Red Cross. He notably advocated a resolution of the conflict in Darfur and in April 2006, he spent ten days in Chad and Sudan with his father to make the TV documentar 'A Journey to Darfur' which shed light on the refugees. In 2012 he was even arrested outside the Sudanese embassy for civil disobedience after organising a planned protest.
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20. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith support inner-city communities
Along with her husband Will, Jada Pinkett-Smith is devoted to helping those in need and the couple's foundation benefits inner-city community development, youth educational projects and under-privileged children. Jada has worked to help suffering children and families in South Africa, and since 2012 has been doing work to stop human trafficking in the US.
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21. Bono fights for debt relief in Africa
U2 frontman Bono is constantly in direct contact with world leaders and policy makers in his mission to fight poverty and hunger. He was on Forbes Magazine's Generous Celebrity List for his work with Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) against the spread of AIDS and for debt relief in Africa, and has participated in fundraising concerts such as Live 8.
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22. Leona Lewis supports the animals
Animal lover Leona Lewis has spoken openly about her views on animal rights, claiming that she would like to see a global ban on all animal tested products. The star has strict rules for her makeup and costume crew, whom have all been briefed on her zero tolerance policy on leather, animal tested products and brushes made from fur. She is also a supporter of Hopfield Animal Sanctuary which houses neglected animals.
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23. Ben Affleck and Ellen DeGeneres team-up for America
Ben Affleck has raised awareness for a number of charities during his time in the spotlight, and most notably teamed up with comedienne Ellen DeGeneres to launch the 'Small Change' charity. 'Small Change' works with Feed America, an organisation which distributes food and grocery products through a nationwide certified member network and increases public awareness of domestic hunger.
