Jonathan Bailey wins award after raising thousands for LGBTQ+ youth charity

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has won an award after raising thousands of pounds for an LGBTQ+ youth charity. 

Bailey raised £33,452 ($44,500) for Just Like Us after running the Hackney half marathon in May. He became a patron of the charity in 2023 and accepted the celebrity fundraiser of the year award at the 2024 GoCardless JustGiving Awards, hosted by TV’s Rylan Clark, on Wednesday (18 September).

Just Like Us provides an ambassador programme for queer youngsters, training them to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and helping to prevent the bullying of queer pupils. 

‘This is the stuff that means the most’

Soon to be seen in Heartstopper, Bailey, who has said knew he was gay at the age of 11, has also raised more than £4,500 (£6,000) for MND Scotland, a charity that supports people living with motor neurone disease across the devolved nation. 

“It’s amazing to be able to highlight brilliant causes, especially for the LGBT+ community. I am very honoured,” he said after picking up the award. “This is the stuff that means the most.”

Just Like Us chief executive Laura Mackay said: “We are thrilled that Jonathan is receiving national recognition for his incredible fundraising efforts. As a patron, his impact on the young people we work with is multi-faceted.

“Not only has he fund-raised to ensure we can continue to help LGBT+ young people thrive, he is also an example and a role model as an LGBT+ person in the public eye, who does not shy away from standing up for what he believes in. 

“On behalf of everyone at Just Like Us, I would like to say thank you to Jonathan and thank you to the JustGiving awards, and I hope we can all continue to work together to ensure that LGBT+ young people enjoy a brighter future.” 

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