John Bishop champions Action on Addiction at The King’s Cup Regatta
John Bishop was at the helm as Action on Addiction competed in The King’s Cup Regatta, hosted by Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Action on Addiction continued its campaign to raise awareness of addiction and to challenge the stigma associated with it by taking part in the inaugural King's Cup Regatta at Cowes on 8 August 2019. Staff and beneficiaries cheered from the grandstand in the heart of the SailGP Village, as John and the crew put the Fast 40 boat through its paces against seven other charities. During the race, as well as watching the exciting action unfolding on the water, spectators heard more about the charity's life-saving work and the difference it makes to the people who complete its treatment programmes. The work of Action on Addiction and that of the other charities was also featured in a compelling film made for the event and shown at the inaugural Regatta Dinner hosted by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that evening.
Comedian John Bishop, whose home city of Liverpool is also home to The Brink, Action on Addiction's recovery cafe, as well as the Self-Help Addiction Recovery Programme (SHARP), one of the charity's life-changing community-based treatment programmes, skippered the boat and mingled with supporters after the prizegiving ceremony before going on to entertain guests at the Regatta Dinner in his own inimitable style.
Graham Beech, Chief Executive of Action on Addiction, said: “It has been a huge privilege for Action on Addiction to take part in this inaugural event alongside seven other fantastic charities. It was wonderful to see Their Royal Highnesses and the charities’ ambassadors championing these important causes which seldom get the attention they need.
“I would like to thank our amazing crew for steering Action on Addiction’s boat skilfully and safely around the course, and also congratulate John Bishop on doing such a brilliant job of representing the charity at this year’s regatta. John is a great advocate of Action on Addiction’s work and an incredibly strong supporter of The Brink – our dry bar in Liverpool. We look forward to working with John in the future as we redouble our efforts to help ever more people affected by addiction.”
Each of the eight boats taking part in The King’s Cup represented a different charity supported by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Action on Addiction was honoured to be one of four charities chosen by the Duchess of Cambridge alongside Place2Be, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and The Royal Foundation. Meanwhile, The Duke selected Child Bereavement UK, Centrepoint, London’s Air Ambulance Charity 30th Anniversary Campaign, and Tusk as his four patronages to take part in the regatta.