Aled Jones | UNOfficial Website

News and reviews

Hope House is a children's hospice organisation providing care for terminally ill children and support for their families. Hope House has two hospices - at Oswestry, Shropshire and Conwy, North Wales - and also offers care in the family home. Support and counselling is offered to parents and other family members for as long as necessary.

Following Aled’s first visit to Ty Gobaith in October 2005 he chose Hope House Children’s Hospices as the charity to which he would give his time and energy. Aled has helped raise vital funds through collections at his regular concerts and he has performed a fundraising concert for the charity in October 2006. He also inspired his most loyal fans to support the hospices and they too have now raised many thousands of pounds. Aled even donated his ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ shoes to raise money.

Aled recently donated his winnings from the popular TV show ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ to the Hospices and is always looking for ways in which he can support and help the Charity.

Thursday 24th Dec 2016

My final day in Halifax and home to London tonight. Day off tomorrow to catch up. Album is sounding really good. I am so pleased with it. We will be announcing the track listing soon to you all. Hope you all have a great day - Aledx
16 hours 44 min ago

3 Comments

Story of Christmas

The story of Christmas

The first presentation of the "The Story of Christmas" was held at St George’s, Hanover Square, W1, on 19th December 1978. The original intention of the organisers was to raise a modest sum for charities – particularly those dealing with homelessness and children.

Over the past 32 years, the event has grown and now raises £150,000/£200,000 each year. Last year the appeal "topped" £200,000 for the first time. In the past 32 years the associated appeal has raised over £2.7 million. More than 85% of the net advertising income and donations has been available for the charitable purposes of the appeal. The aim of the Organising Committee is to ensure that the highest possible proportion of the funds raised are available to the charities. To this end, sponsors cover most of the direct costs.

The event at St George’s takes the form of a festival of Nine Lessons with Carols. The readings are given by leading figures from the theatre and from public life. The Choir of Westminster Cathedral and the Band and Fanfare Trumpeters of the Irish Guards provide the music. Following the service at St George’s, which last for just over an hour, there is a champagne reception for the principal guests and supporters.

The objectives of the associated appeal continue to be directed to helping homeless people and disadvantaged children.

Dame Judi Dench is the President and Aled Jones is the Vice President.

More on Aled

Aled became famous as a treble, known for his version of "Walking in the Air", which was originally performed by Peter Auty, for the movie adaptation of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, a television favourite every Christmas. The song reached as high as number five in the singles chart of 1985. Lately Aled has hosted various television programmes for many channels including BBC and ITV.

Aled has been one of the key presenters of Songs of Praise for over a decade, as well as a presenter of Escape to the Country in 2010 and the light entertainment show Cash in the Attic for three years after that.

In late 2012, Aled went on to ITV Breakfast to host Daybreak, with Lorraine Kelly and Kate Garraway, having taken the place of the hosts Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles on the same programme. Jones then left Daybreak in the spring of 2014 to present a new programme for ITV named Weekend from the following day. The programme is broadcast every weekend morning.

He has hosted various programmes on the BBC Radio network, but predominantly for Radio 2 and taken part in the second year of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where he was teamed up with professional dancer Lilia Kopylova. He was voted off the show in week number seven, just missing out from claiming the bronze medal.