Andy Murray will donate up to £350,000 in prize money from Queen’s tournament to victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster
ANDY MURRAY will donate all his prize money from Queen’s to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
And if he retains his Aegon Championships title, the generous gesture will be worth nearly £350,000.
Tournament sources confirmed Murray would hand over his prize pot — and the event itself will also make a sizeable donation to support those affected by the tragedy which killed at least 79 people and left hundreds homeless..
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It will not be the first time that Murray has helped a good cause with money earned at the famous Wimbledon warm-up tournament.
In 2013, he gave all his £75,000 prize money for winning the Queen's title to London's Royal Marsden Hospital, where close friend Ross Hutchins had been treated for cancer.
Murray has also worked with a number of charities, famously sending himself up in a Comic Relief sketch as well as enjoying longer-term relationships with particular organisations.
Murray is an ambassador for Unicef and he announced in 2015 he would donate £50 for every ace he served to the organisation’s emergency children’s fund which was helping kids in Syria.
With match funding by sponsors and tennis bodies, he raised £83,000.
And the £360,000 proceeds from his Andy Murray Live event in Glasgow last year were split between Unicef and local charity Young People’s Futures.
Murray will be a bit annoyed that news has leaked of his latest act of philanthropy.
He remains a very private individual, despite becoming increasingly engaged with the wider world and its political and social affairs in recent years.
Murray attracted some criticism for coming out in favour of Scottish independence on the day of the 2014 referendum.
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But those who know the Wimbledon champion best say he is a thoughtful and sensitive man who prefers to use his fame to help others rather than to live in the celebrity bubble.
Sometimes Murray has been prepared to wear his heart on his sleeve.
The logos of the World Wildlife Fund and the Malaria No More campaign have featured on the arms of his kit in recent years.
And Murray was among the stars who lent their support to The Great Get Together last weekend.
Events were organised across Britain to mark the anniversary of the death of Jo Cox, the campaigning MP murdered in the build-up to last year’s Brexit referendum, by celebrating her passion for promoting what united the nation.
Murray said: “With everything that's happened over the last year, the country has a decision to make. Does it divide us or does it bring us together?
“The closer together we become, the better it is for the country."
Murray also featured in the campaign video, with Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry and other big names, and suggested that love of James Bond was one of the things which brought British people together.
He naturally insisted that fellow Scot Sean Connery was the best Bond of all time.
But when it comes to giving his money and time to worthy causes, Murray himself has few peers.
What we know so far:
- At least 79 people are presumed dead but the death toll is feared to be more than 100
- The first victims have been named as Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, 23, and 24-year-old Khadija Saye
- The Prime Minister has promised a full public inquiry into the disaster and police have launched a criminal investigation
- The blaze on Wednesday night is thought to have been sparked by a faulty fridge but police don't believe the fire was started deliberately
- Experts warned the fire was spread by cladding panels which are fitted to countless buildings across Britain
- Residents were seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11 and horrified witnesses told of babies being thrown from windows by desperate mothers
- It was revealed the block had only recently undergone a £10million refurb and still had no sprinkler system installed - but designers insisted the refurbishment work complied with building regulations
- Residents raised safety concerns four years ago, but were ignored
- Celebrities and ordinary Londoners have united to provide food, clothes, money and shelter for survivors