Wednesday, July 22, 2015 5:07am ET by  
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Adam Lambert's UK fans come together to provide care packages for cancer patients

Vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert is known for having an incredibly dedicated and supportive following, and some of his fans in the UK have gone one step beyond by creating an unofficial charity project that provides care packages (pictured below) to hospital patients battling cancer. 

Melanie Hersey told Pressparty that she initially contacted Lambert's publicist to clear the project for use and has since been given permission to run Touch Of Sparkle on an unofficial basis.

Earlier this morning (July 21) the 'Ghost Town' sensation himself took to Twitter to praise the organisation for the great work, writing: "I love the good work that @_touchofsparkle is doing!!! Check them out!"

What inspired you to start the project?

Sadly, cancer is something which touches the lives of most of us at some point and in some way. A few of my friends have already suffered this terrible disease while only in their 20s and 30s. As a friend or family member, it does leave you feeling utterly helpless and wondering what you can say or do to make a small difference to someone going through this. But the good thing is that we really do live in an era of fundraising at the moment - rarely a week goes by when one of my friends isn't doing a sponsored run or cycle ride! So with this in mind, I decided to set up my own charity project - Touch of Sparkle. The idea of care packages is not so common in the UK and this is the first project for chemotherapy patients of its kind running at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

The decision to tie in the project with the Adam Lambert fan base and run Touch of Sparkle as an unofficial fan project might seem an unusual one but it really does work well. Adam himself has supported cancer charities in the past, having recently performed at an event for the male cancer charity One For The Boys in London. But he is also known for his kindness and his caring and accepting attitude so it seemed appropriate to draw on this ethos to spread our own 'touch of sparkle' to patients (indeed the name itself seemed fitting given Adam's love of sparkle!) 

On a purely 'business' level, operating a project like this within a fan base also makes it more sustainable because a rolling programme of donations can more easily be achieved within such a large group. And with their wide range of ages, backgrounds, professions and life experiences, the Glamberts really are a force to be reckoned with!!!

 

 

 

What does the Adam Lambert fanbase mean to you?

When I first became an Adam Lambert fan, I was really surprised by what an incredibly diverse following he has - people from all over the world and of all ages. The fan groups on Facebook in particular are very strong communities and offer a place for swapping stories, photos and videos in addition to serving as a support network where people can turn to seek distraction, help and advice in all kinds of situations, across all age groups and backgrounds. Essentially, a place where fans have become friends! I was lucky enough to meet many of these fellow fans in London for the first time in June when Adam visited as part of his promo tour. It really is a liberating experience to set out for the day on your own and meet up with people you have never met and yet feel like you know really well! 

I'm genuinely touched by how fans have come together to support the Touch of Sparkle project in all manner of ways, from donating to sharing the links on Twitter and Facebook. Some fans have even organised raffles or donated funds from the sale of items they make. There has also been a huge amount of support from The Lambrits, the largest Adam Lambert UK fan site on Twitter (run by a lovely lady called Mandy) and from the Adam Lambert Fan Club on Facebook. Queen fans too have been very generous in donating and publicising the cause following the recent incredible Queen and Adam Lambert tour. 

Why did you decide to run Touch of Sparkle in association with Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust?

I am very lucky to have spent the last 15 years of my life living in the beautiful city of Cambridge UK, home to one of the world's top universities as well as Addenbrooke's Hospital which conducts leading research in a range of fields. Indeed some of my friends are scientists and researchers working at the hospital so I know first-hand what a fantastic place it is. 

When I first came up with the idea of producing the care packages for patients, I wasn't sure how to proceed with it because obviously it is not as simple as walking into the hospital and handing out the bags...  the items need to be approved before being handed to patients and I wanted to be sure of striking the right balance between practical items, which patients can actually use during their treatment and treats, which can be saved for use afterwards or during a break in the treatment. After all, having something to look forward to like a restaurant voucher or nice cosmetics might just help someone smile and feel more positive. 

This is a very emotional as well as physical stage of a patient's journey and I wanted to be sure of getting it right and approaching the project with the appropriate level of sensitivity. After contacting various national and local charities, I was eventually pointed in the direction of the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust which is based at the hospital. Their support and advice have been invaluable and being able to fundraise under their official registered charity number and draw on their extensive expertise makes the process much simpler and easier to organise.

 

 

You can get involved by clicking here to donate funds or you can check out Touch of Sparkle's Amazon Wishlist and purchase items that have been requested here

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Watch Lambert's music video for 'Ghost Town' below: