Sir Michael Parkinson is to be the celebrity guest at this year’s Midlands lunch in aid of the Journalists’ Charity.
The lunch is being held at the Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, on Friday, 22, June. Full details are in the release below sent out by the Journalists’ Charity:
Sir Michael Parkinson, one of Britain’s best-loved broadcasters is to speak in Birmingham in the summer to raise funds for the Journalists’ Charity.
Sir Michael – or ‘Parky’ as he is popularly known – has agreed to be this year’s celebrity guest at the charity’s annual lunch at The Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, on Friday 22nd June.
The charity, formerly known as the Newspaper Press Fund, has been holding the lunch in Birmingham since 1993, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for journalists in need. Previous speakers have included Sir Richard Branson, Sir Trevor MacDonald, Chris Tarrant, Jasper Carrott, Kate Adie and Greg Dyke.
‘Parky’ started his working life aged 16 on local newspapers in Yorkshire before joining the Manchester Guardian and later the Daily Express. His early broadcasting career began as a current affairs producer at Granada Television. He has continued to work across print, radio and television, winning international acclaim and countless awards across all media.
This year he achieves another milestone. Sir Michael said: ‘I am very much looking forward to speaking at the Journalists’ Charity lunch on 22nd June as I am celebrating 60 years in journalism.”
Laurie Upshon, the charity’s regional chairman, said: ‘We have always managed to attract top quality speakers to our Birmingham lunch – and they don’t come any more popular than Sir Michael.
‘We’re very grateful that he has agreed to be with us. It’s a great coup and I am confident that it will be sold out very quickly.”
Tickets for the lunch cost £45, which includes a three-course meal, and a 10% discount is available for tables of ten booked before the end of April at £400. After April, all tickets cost £45.
For more details, contact
Laurie Upshon: (laurie@upshon.com)
Steve Dann: (steve@fleetstreetconsulting.co.uk)
Val Deeley: (val.deeley@live.co.uk)
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