Ed Sheeran, Mark Ronson, Emeli Sandé, Paloma Faith and Paul Weller are among a group of musicians to support Hope And Homes For Children’s new End The Silence campaign.
The artists will share their favourite childhood songs and memories via YouTube videos, which are available via their individual channels and endthesilence.com.
Forthcoming films in the campaign will include Damon Albarn, Bastille’s Dan Smith, The Clash’s Paul Simonon, Rudimental’s Amir Amor, Hozier, and Anne-Marie.
Each film has been produced by Fulwell 73, who recently launched new primetime pop music TV show Sounds Like Friday Night on BBC One.
Aiming to raise £1.5 million, the campaign aims to create the world’s largest 'online musical memory time capsule' before Christmas. The proceeds will be used to help find families for 120,000 children suffering silence and neglect in Ugandan and Rwandan orphanages.
Members of the public are encouraged to share their memories alongside the musicians via endthesilence.com and social media, using the hashtags #endthesilence and #Ukaid.
Mark Waddington, CEO of Hope and Homes for Children, said: “When a baby in an orphanage cries and nobody comes to comfort them, they learn not to cry. By internalising their pain, they suffer lifelong mental and physical damage. Deprived of love, life, and hope, these children grow up in silence. They never hear laughter or music. These children will never experience the love and protection only a family can offer. The idea of a childhood of silence and neglect in an orphanage – without love, family and music - is unacceptable. By joining the world’s top musicians in sharing your most precious childhood musical memory, you can help us to end the silence.”
Every pound donated to the End the Silence campaign before December 27 will be doubled by the UK Government as part of its UK Aid Match scheme.
International development Secretary Priti Patel commented: “No child should have to spend their childhood in an orphanage, deprived of the love and support only a family can bring. Through this campaign, Hope And Homes For Children is providing struggling individuals with the life changing support that’s needed to keep families together.”
Candice Morrissey, head of music content partnerships, EMEA, YouTube: "We are delighted to partner with Hope And Homes on the End The Silence campaign to help bring support and joy through music to those in need. As YouTube is a place where artists and fans come together to immerse themselves in memories through video and music, this is a natural partnership for a deeply meaningful cause."
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