Benedict Cumberbatch’s birthday is 2 months today so it seemed a good time to launch our annual fundraiser in honour of his birthday.

Each year instead of buying Benedict presents or cards we encourage people to donate to a charity of his choice. The first year we raised £10,000 for The Teenage Cancer Trust. Last year we raised £15,000 for Myeloma UK. This year at Benedict’s request we are raising funds for The Princes Trust.

You can donate to this year’s fund raiser here.

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work.

Benedict is an ambassador for the charity. Fellow actor Idris Elba talks very movingly here about how support from The Princes Trust changed his life



You can donate no matter where in the world you are. Justgiving accepts paypal (any issues opt to pay in sterling). It’s also really important to note that unlike other donation sites the money goes direct to the charity. It doesn’t go to me- I can’t touch a penny so you can give in complete confidence that the charity is receiving the money.

If you want to donate by text you can do so by sending the code BCPT73 and the amount you want to donate (£1 £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to 70070

So if you want to send £2 just send the following message BCPT73 £2 to 70070

Every single penny matters and is SO appreciated.

Don’t forget to leave your birthday message for Benedict in the comments when you donate- he does see the page.

The Cumbercollective has always been extraordinarily gracious and generous and I can’t wait to see how much we raise this year.