A Speech Made Broadcast on
Weeks for Good Causes by Leslie Phillips

I’m in desperate need of some cash. Who does everyone turn to when they want to raise some money for a charity or a special cause - people like me. Actors, or better still, actresses - they always help! I know, it’s the story of our lives - this time however, it’s the boot on the other foot! I'm asking you to help me raise some money for us. People you have most certainly known, loved and admired during your life - on the telly, films or in the theatre. Actors, actresses, dancers, singers, and lively people in the business - who have spent their lives entertaining and helping others, but now, sadly they are in serious trouble themselves; everything has gone wrong for them - remember dear old Terry Thomas and Ralph Bates. Both these superb actors were terribly ill when The Royal Theatrical Fund stepped in to help them.

Have you ever wondered what became of some of your favourites? I bet you have! So many lovely actresses and actors, now, can’t work any more - many try to get into “Denville Hall” - retirement home for actors. You’d be staggered who is in there! We always try to help them to get in - in fact, we always try to help anyone from our business, who are in trouble, through ill health, or age or both. We recently helped a promising young actor who became brain damaged after a terrible accident - a singer who had been struck down by “incurable cancer” – a comedian, who couldn’t be funny anymore I’m afraid – he’s lost his sight. I’m sorry about this, but it’s the sort of ghastly tragedy we come up against all the time. It’s endless – absolutely endless.

We need money to help these unfortunate people – now, I’m a Vice-President of “The Royal Theatrical Fund” – we have some wonderful people on the board – business men, producers, a solicitor, a stock broker and actors of course. Donald Sinden is our president, The Queen our most treasured Patron. We all work very hard indeed to help our theatrical friends who are in such awful trouble, they simply can’t
help themselves. We work for the joy of it, and there is a great deal of joy, sometimes.

This fund was started by Charles Dickens in 1839, for that very purpose, and we are carrying on that amazing tradition 160 years later.  We’ve been self-supporting, thanks to private donations and the expertise of the board serving this unique fund. But, now, we desperately need financial help. It’s getting more and more difficult – the fund is being stretched as never before.

Appeals for help are carefully examined by the Welfare Committee, and we act quickly – we’ve saved lives and frequently prevented awful suffering. The acting profession is very proud, and sometimes we only hear of someone’s misfortune, when they have reached rock bottom.
Could you help us, please.

So, this is Leslie Phillips saying thank you and bless you for taking the time to read this appeal, and hopefully, helping us all to do a good job at The Royal Theatrical Fund. We’ll be waiting, and hoping.

Leslie Phillips