Glasgow 2014 Making a Difference to Lives of Children in Commonwealth

International singing superstar Nicole Scherzinger and cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy are two of the star-studded names who will appear in a global fundraising first at the Glasgow 2014 Opening Ceremony on 23 July to help UNICEF save and change the lives of millions of children across the Commonwealth.

Glasgow 2014, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and UNICEF have forged a partnership with the ambition of improving the lives of children in every country in the Commonwealth through raising money for the Children of the Commonwealth Fund, in the run-up to and during the Games.

Spectators, athletes and an expected one billion viewers from across the Commonwealth will all have the chance to play their part in the ceremony and be invited to Put Children First by making a donation via a text number or url which will create a powerful Games legacy for children.

Sir Chris unveiled the first glimpse of some of the legendary personalities involved in making the Opening Ceremony a unique and momentous opportunity for children in a short film which went live on Wednesday.

It shows Nicole and Chris, along with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, footballing supremo Sir Alex Ferguson and Line of Duty actress Keeley Hawes, exploring different regions of the Commonwealth over the past three months to witness UNICEF’s life-changing work.

Exclusive footage which captures the stars and the children they met across the Commonwealth will feature in the Opening Ceremony, culminating in this unique and unifying fundraising moment.

Commonwealth Games Federation President, HRH Prince Tunku Imran, said, “This is about the Commonwealth Games bringing the Nations and Territories of the Commonwealth together through sport and I am delighted that for the first time our Opening Ceremony itself will create an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of children across the Commonwealth.”

Glasgow 2014, Chief Executive, David Grevemberg, added, “Young people throughout the Commonwealth are at the heart of the ambitions of the Games. This is a ground-breaking and profoundly important opportunity for the people of the Commonwealth to come together to put their children first and improve lives. Glasgow 2014 has had so many firsts in terms of Games and again we are making history, we are changing the conversation. We are taking an Opening Ceremony and elevating it into something which will not just be experienced by people but will leave a lasting legacy for the young people of Scotland and across the Commonwealth.”

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony will be on BBC 1 on July 23 at 21:00 (BST).