Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry helps city shine a light on kindness

Alex Pope

BBC News Online

Lights on The Mathematical Bridge
A Cambridge Diary
The Mathematical Bridge

The words of Stephen Fry have been projected on a city landmark to celebrate kindness during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Part of the former Cambridge student's quote was shone on the Mathematical Bridge at Queens’ College, where he read English.

It said: "The more in the world that you encounter kindness (and cheerfulness - which is its kind of amiable uncle or aunt) - the better the world always is."

The Cambridge Belfry Hotel
The Crane Event
The Cambridge Belfry Hotel has been supporting NHS staff

It was for the Shine Bright project which lights up different buildings in a blue glow to mark the weekly Clap for Carers event.

The city's Belfry Hotel and Emmanuel College were also chosen.

Emmanuel College
The Crane Event
Emmanuel College was chosen to highlight the community feel that has kept their students together over the past few months

Dame Fiona Reynolds, master of Emmanuel, said: "Our college community has become stronger than ever, with our Student Union organising regular online yoga sessions, bake-off competitions, regular Zoom catch-ups with the master, weekly film nights, and even pets dressed in Emmanuel jumpers."

The #ShineBright team is made up of The Crane Event, JMPS, Pink Lamp, Blueshed, and JezO’s.

Chorister 'privileged' to be singing in virtual Evensong

Alfie Bottley
Ely Cathedral

A young chorister is warming up to perform along with Stephen Fry, celebrity vicar Reverend Richard Coles, Alexander Armstrong and Simon Russell Beale, for a virtual choral Evensong.

Alfie Bottley, 12, has been chosen from Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire and will sing at 18:30 this evening.

It will be broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook for The Rodolfus Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting and raising the profile of the choral Evensong tradition.

"It is such a nice feeling to be able to sing with everyone even though we're far away from each other, and a privilege to sing Evensong with such famous people," he said.

'Dear NHS...' Stars write love letters to say thank you

Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Emma Thompson
Getty Images

"Love letters" to the NHS written by stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry have been collected in a book.

Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You will raise funds for NHS Charities Together and The Lullaby Trust, and has been curated by This Is Going To Hurt author Adam Kay.

"It is our single greatest achievement as a nation, always there for us and never more so than now," said Kay, a former doctor.

High-profile contributors include Ricky Gervais, Graham Norton, Sir Michael Palin and Louis Theroux.

Kay said he had been "blown away" by the number of people who had been willing to share their stories for the book, which will be released on 9 July.

Back to top