A fundraising campaigner has enlisted the help of the rich and famous to help homeless military veterans.
Dennis Gimes from Shepherd’s Bush has created a quilt which will be sold in auction this summer to raise money for Veterans Aid and Soldiering On, a charity of which he is a trustee
But what makes his quilt so special is that stars and celebrities such as Richard E Grant, Jeremy Irons, Dame Vera Lynn, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and many more have all agreed to sign the it, before their signatures are stitched into the fabric by London Quilters.
Money raised from the auction on June 30 will be split between Veterans Aid, which helps homeless military men and woman, and Soldiering On, which recognises people in the Armed Forces for their work.
Ex-military man Mr Gimes, from Sinclair Road, had previously helped raise £15,000 money for the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park.
He told getwestlondon : “Last February I read about a campaign to raise money for a hostel for homeless veterans, and I thought I wanted to do something to help too.
"So I came up with this dumb idea to get famous people to sign pieces of cloth.
“I enjoyed getting the celebrities involved, and I think it’s an important cause. I served in the military back in the 1960s and I had a great time and it served me well and taught me a lot.
"I want to repay the 10 years of service I had.”
Once the quilt is sold, the 69-year-old says he will turn his attention to another fundraising idea, but admits “I don’t know what it is yet”.
For more information on the quilt and auction email Mr Gimes d.gimes103@gmail.com or call 07932 410684.
