A STAR from Channel Four's popular soap opera Hollyoaks has joined forces with Brentor-based children's charity CHICKS.
Ashley Taylor Dawson, also known as Hollyoaks' bad boy Darren Osborne, is one of the celebrities backing the 'Make a Memory — Fly a Kite' campaign.
Organised by CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids) and sponsored by the Wrigley Company Ltd, the campaign aims to help the charity raise £100,000 and take 1,000 youngsters on respite breaks every year by 2010.
Ashley said: 'I am delighted to be supporting CHICKS who do some amazing work helping disadvantaged children.'
Throughout CHICKS' National Kite Flying Awareness Week (September 6 to 13), the charity encouraged people to fly CHICKS kites if they could not attend the main event at Leeds Castle, Kent, on Saturday, September 13, when the charity attempted to smash the Guinness world record for the number of kites flying simultaneously.
Each year CHICKS provides respite breaks for 800 UK children who would otherwise never get the opportunity to escape their disadvantaged home lives.
Elanor Hoskin, head of fundraising and communications, said: 'We are very grateful for the support that Ashley has given to this project, which will make more people aware of the work of the CHICKS charity.
'The proceeds from the sale of the kites will enable us to provide more holidays for children from throughout the UK.'