About our Celebrity Guests - 3 TV Stars & former Eastenders - Natalia Cassidy, Tamsin Outhwaite & Tom Ellis

Natalie Cassidy - She found fame whilst very young, playing Sonia Jackson in Eastenders.  She was famous for always playing her trumpet and was in the soap for years only leaving it a few years ago now.  Natalie was determined to support the Foundation after becoming friends with Gareth Thomas when they were both housemates in the recent Celebrity Big Brother on Channel Five.

Tamsin Outhwaite - She found fame playing Melanie Healey in Eastenders.  She famously left the soap after marrying Ian Beale.  She is one of the most successful actors/actresses working after leaving a soap.  Her credits include Hotel Babylon, Red Cap and musical Sweet Charity.

Tom Ellis - He made his name playing Dr Oliver Cousins in the Soap. He is husband to Tamzin Outhwaite and has aso been seen recently on our screens in smash hit Comdy series Miranda.

If you are a big Soap or TV fan and you want to see and mingle with these stars as well as raising funds for a good cause then please enquire about tickets (£100 or £200 per person) at: lifemusicfoundation@gmail.com .

5 More Celebrities (including 4 Welsh Sporting Legends) added to Guest List:

There have been 5 more names added to the list of Celebrity attendees at the upcoming Charity Fundraising Event of the year, to be held at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales on July 14th.

The additional 5 names includes; Former Undefeated Welsh Boxing Legend Joe Calzaghe, and three Welsh Grandslam Rugby Hero's including arguably one of, if not the greatest welsh player to ever pick up an Egg-shaped ball, Shane Williams.   The other two are recent 100 cap Legend Martyn Williams and the former Welsh Centre ball carrying wizard; Tom Shanklin.

These 4 Welsh sporting greats are joined by Strictly Come Dancing star and Girlfriend to Joe Calzaghe, Kristina Rihanoff.

The star studded event on the evening of July 14th now includes 14 confirmed stars, with an announcement coming soon on the Mystery A-List guest.

As well as the 5 stars named above, also confirmed to attend are; 3 TV stars and former Eastenders - Tamzin Outhwaite, husband Tom Ellis and Natalie Cassidy, a Welsh TV Presenter - Gethin Jones (formerly a Blue Peter Presenter), Welsh Legend and Charity President Gareth Thomas who was also recently a runner up in Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother and four of his fellow housemates from the Celebrity Big Brother show - Frankie Cocozza (also of X-Factor Fame, Nicola Mclean (also of Page 3 and lots of reality series fame), Kirk Norcross (also of Towie fame) and Natasha Giggs (one of the most taked about people of 2011). 


Please see the following link for the South Wales Argus's take on this news:

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9741716.Sport_legends_set_for_Gareth_Thomas__Newport_dinner/?ref=rss

If you want to purchase individual tickets for the gala dinner, which includes live musical entertainment and fund raising events, they are £100 or a table of 10 for £1,000 please email : lifemusicfoundation@gmail.com.

For VIP tickets which include additional red carpet entrance, champagne reception with stars and celebrity goody bags, they are £200 or £2,000 for tables of 10.

Interest in the tickets can be emailed via the same email address above.

In addition there are a number of corporate sponsorship opportunites should that be of interest to you.

As the event will be featured in OK magazine and by alot of other media companies this represents an excellent opportunity to tie yor brand in with this star studded events and the proceeds of which all goes to help local children through the activities opf the Music and Sport Foundation www.lifemusicfoundation.org/ .

July 14th Celebrity Charity Fundraising Gala Dinner at Celtic Manor Resort - in aid of Gareth Thomas's Music & Sport Foundation

Celebrity Gala Dinner Charity Event Ticket Options!

There are a number of Tickets options available for the Gareth Thomas / Life Music Foundation Charity Event that is being held in July, at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport, Gwent. South Wales. 

If you are a local business that likes to support local Charities, a Lover of Music looking to help disadvantaged youngesters get on in the music world, a Welsh Rugby or Rugby League Fan, a fan of Celebrity Big Brother, Eastenders, Television & Stage or The Only Way is Essex or the Sugar Hut, or a big fan of Celebrity or Gala dinners and you would like to attend this Black Tie dinner and dance, then please email us at LifeMusicFoundation@gmail.com , please state which of the below ticket options are of interest?

About the Celebrity Gala Event:
This charity event is sure to be the most talked about Events of the year in Wales, especially with so many celebrities and well known people attending. There will also be an amazing auction with some very unique and entertaining prizes. Even after the main events of the night there will be a live band and disco where you can dance the night away in amongst the stars – all that fun for a fantastic cause.


Individual Ticket - £100

This would give you one regular ticket to attend the Event.

A Full Table of 10 - £1000

As well as having all of the benefits of the Individual Tickets you will also have the opportunity to display your branding on the table and in the programme. This is a great way of promoting your business to a huge number of people.

Individual VIP Ticket - £200

A VIP ticket includes a separate red carpet VIP entrance where the national press and other media will be taking photographs, pre-dinner celebrity champagne reception with live entertainment from a brilliant act, a chance to be photographed by OK magazine and other media and a valuable goody bag. All the celebrities attending will be present at the VIP reception so a chance to mingle closely with many well known faces from TV, Sport and Music.

Table of 10 VIP Tickets - £2000

As well as having all of the benefits of the VIP Tickets you will also have the opportunity to display your branding on the table and in the programme as well as on TV screens and on banners. This will provide your business with a huge amount of exposure.

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Who's attending the Gareth Thomas Charity Fundraising Celebrity Gala Dinner - update

Who's Attending

Gareth Thomas will be inviting some of his closest friends from the world of showbiz including some of the stars from Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

We will also be announcing a very special celebrity guest very soon.

Also more celebrity attendees will be announced over the coming weeks, so please follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest news.


Mystery Guest
To be announced soon

Frankie Cocozza
Celebrity Big Brother 2012
X-Factor 2011

Nicola McLean
Celebrity Big Brother 2012
I'm a Celebrity... 2008

Kirk Norcross
Celebrity Big Brother 2012
The Only Way Is Essex

Natasha Giggs
Celebrity Big Brother 2012

Gethin Jones
Strictly Come Dancing
Blue Peter

Natalie Cassidy
Eastenders
Strictly Come Dancing

Tamsin Outhwaite
Eastenders
Hotel Bablyon

Tom Ellis
Eastenders
Miranda

3 Stars from Television and Soap Giant Eastenders added to Guest list

3 Television Stars Supporting Charity Dinner:

Three stars from British television, who found fame with BBC soap EastEnders are showing their support for the Gareth Thomas Foundation Music & Sport Foundation, by attending the star-studded Celebrity event at the Celtic Manor on the Evening of July 14th.

Natalie Cassidy (who played Sonia Jackson in Eastenders), Tamsin Outhwaite (who played Melanie Healey) and Tom Ellis (who played Dr Oliver Cousins) will be helping to raise funds for the Gareth Thomas Foundation for Music and Sport.

Natalie Cassidy was determined to support the Foundation after becoming friends with Gareth Thomas when they were both housemates in the recent Celebrity Big Brother on Channel Five. Gareth is also friends with Welsh actor Tom Ellis (recently seen in Miranda) and his wife Tamsin Outhwaite (whose credits include Hotel Babylon, Red Cap and musical Sweet Charity) and is grateful for their support.

Gareth, who is President of the Foundation, said, "I am delighted that Natalie, Tom and Tamsin are coming along to support this event which I hope will raise lots of money to help local disadvantaged youngsters have access to music and sport. "I know it's going to be a great evening with top class entertainment and I would urge everyone to grab a ticket to make sure you don't miss out on the charity event of the year."

Tickets for the tribute evening are now available. They are available as Individual Tickets and a Table of 10.

Individual Tickets are £100
and
Tables of 10 are £1000.


Alternatively, if you've always wanted to mingle with celebrities, why not treat yourself to a VIP ticket?

Not only will you get all of the benefits from the Individual Ticket, you will also enjoy a red carpet entrance, a champagne reception with the celebrities as well as receiving a celebrity goody bag.

For more information about the tickets or to arrange payment please email lifemusicfoundation@gmail.com.

In addition to tickets there are also Sponsorship Packages Available:

Exclusive sponsorship packages are available for the event and there are various packages that can be tailored to suit your company's needs but all include access to the VIP champagne reception. You and your guests can mingle with the celebrities plus your company branding will be displayed on the evening and in the official programme.

With some of the national media attending the event, including OK magazine, taking out one of the sponsorship packages is a way to get fanastic exposure for your company, and knowing that you are helping disadvantaged children, with the proceeds going to charity make the sponsorship very worth while.

For information about the sponsorship packages, please contact us on the same email above.

Alfies Charity Night - Celebrity Charity Fundraising Event at Celtic Manor on July 14th - If you buy a ticket what do you get?

There are two types of tickets available for the charity fundraising event - £100 standard tickets or £200 VIP tickets.

For the £100 ticket you get the following:

• A fantastic three course Celtic Manor meal
• A full evening of entertainment
• Opportunity to bid on some exclusive auction prizes
• Opportunity to enter a raffle with superb prizes
• A chance to rub shoulders with a whole host of celebrities
• The chance to advertise you business  on the table you are sat at (if corporate booking).

For the £200 VIP ticket you get all of the above plus

• Red Carpet Entrance with the Stars
• Champagne Reception with the Stars
• A Celebrity Goody Bag
• The chance to appear in OK (as they will be featuring the event in their magazine.

In order to secure your tickets email info@lifemusicfoundation.org or call 01633 548015. Those who book earliest will ensure the best possible seating. We look forward to you joining us on what should prove to be a truly incredible night.

It is preferrable that we sell the tables as tables of 10 but other number options including single tickets can be catered for.

There are still a number of sponsor ship opportunities available including the main event sponsorer, if you and your company are interested?

About Gareth Thomas, Our Celebrity Gala Dinner Host and President of Life Music Foundation

About Gareth "Alfie" Thomas

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Gareth Thomas's Personal Details:
Gareth's Nickname	Alfie
His Date and Place of Birth	(1974-07-25) 25 July 1974 (age 37) Sarn, Bridgend, Wales
His Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
& Weight	103kg
Gareth's Playing information:
Rugby union
Position	Fullback, Wing, Centre
Clubs
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
199?–199?	Bridgend
199?–199?	Pontypridd	0	0	0	0	0
199?–1997	Bridgend
1997–2001	Cardiff
2001–2003	Bridgend
2003–2004	Celtic Warriors
2004–2007	Toulouse
2007–2010	Cardiff Blues	60	12	0	0	60
	Total	60	12	0	0	60
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1995–2007	Wales	100	40	0	0	200
2005	British and Irish Lions	3	1	0	0	5
Rugby league
Position	Wing, Centre, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010–2011	Crusaders	31	7	0	0	28
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010	Wales	4	3	0	0	12
As of 23 October 2010
Source: Rugby League Project

Gareth Thomas is now a retired Welsh Rugby professional who also played rugby league for the Crusaders RL in the Super League as well as Wales. He previously played rugby union for the Cardiff Blues and Wales as a fullback, wing or centre, as well as for the prestigous British Lions who he also captained.

On May 26th 2007, Gareth Thomas surpassed Gareth Llewellyn as the most-capped Wales rugby union player when he went out for his 93rd appearance. 


During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Thomas scored a try in what was his final game for Wales, and in the process created sporting history when he became the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in rugby union.


His cap record was surpassed by Stephen Jones in September 2011.


Gareth is listed 11th in the world on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers and he is the 2nd highest Wales try scorer behind Shane Williams.

On October 6th 2010 Gareth became a dual code international when he represented the Wales national rugby league team at the Wrexham Racecourse Ground when he played against the Italian Rugby League team.


On October 25th 2011 Gareth announced his retirement from professional sport.

According to an article in Sports Illustrated on May 3rd 2010, Thomas was notable as the world's only then-current professional male athlete in a team sport who was openly gay, although cricketer Steven Davies, volleyball player Michael Dos Santos and footballers Anton Hysén and David Testo have since come out. In December 2009 Thomas was voted top of the Pink List in 2010 of the 101 most influential gay people in the UK and he received Stonewall’s Hero of the Year award in October 2010. Thomas is a supporter of Childline and is co-founder of Distinct Management and PR with his manager Emanuele Palladino.

Club career

Gareth started his career at Pencoed RFC at youth level before starting his first class career at Bridgend. He then moved to Pontypridd, but never actually played a game for them before re-signing for Bridgend. He then spent a spell at Cardiff starting in 1997 before rejoining hometown club Bridgend again in 2001 and captaining them to a Welsh Premier Division title in 2003, in a campaign where they were unbeaten at home and only lost to runners-up Neath and Cardiff away. He then joined the Celtic Warriors once the Welsh Rugby Union implemented its regional rugby plans for the 2003-04 season. After one season as captain of the Warriors, the region was disbanded by the then-WRU chief David Moffett and owner Leighton Samuel, although Thomas had already agreed a deal to join French club Toulouse where he was seen as the ideal replacement for soon-to-retire captain Émile N'Tamack. He helped the club to a Heineken Cup victory in 2005 after a victory over Stade Français at Murrayfield. On 20 January 2007, Cardiff Blues completed a deal to bring Thomas back to Wales for the 2007-08 season.

International career

Gareth Thomas made his debut for Wales on May 27th 1995 against Japan. He scored a Welsh record-equalling four tries in the match against Italy in Treviso in 1999; one of only seven players to achieve that feat for his country. He held the Wales record for the most international tries with 40 until Shane Williams surpassed that total in the 2008 Six Nations Championship, but still retains the record for most Test appearances for his country, with 100. He surpassed the try record previously held by Ieuan Evans in 2004 against Italy. He also got a hat-trick of tries in the Second Test against Japan in 2001; 51 appearances after announcing his arrival on the international scene with a hat-trick in the 1995 World Cup game against the same opposition. Equally at home at centre, it was from that position he scored the longest interception try ever seen at the Arms Park, a 90 metre dash against Australia in 1996.

Thomas was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Following injury to Brian O'Driscoll in the opening minutes of the first test against New Zealand, he was made captain for the second and third tests of the series, becoming the ninth Welsh skipper in Lions' history.

In 2005 Thomas was found guilty of assault while playing rugby in France and in 2007 was banned for four weeks for misconduct charges.

Thomas was named as captain for Wales' final match in the 2007 Six Nations against England after current captain Stephen Jones was ruled out with a broken wrist. When Thomas took the field, he equalled Llewellyn's Wales record of 92 caps. He broke Llewellyn's record when he led Wales out against Australia at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on 26 May 2007, a match that Wales lost 29–23 on a Wallabies try after the siren.

His 100th, and last test match was in his team's defeat by Fiji in the 2007 World Cup.

Personal life

Thomas was born in Sarn near Bridgend. In August 2001, he married Jemma, whom he met when both were teenagers. The couple married in St Brides Major, near Bridgend, and filed for divorce in 2007; it was finalized in 2009. During the marriage, Jemma suffered three miscarriages.

In December 2009 Thomas announced publicly that he is gay. He told the Daily Mail, "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player, first and foremost I am a man". Thomas' public confirmation of his sexuality made him the first openly gay professional rugby union player.In an interview with the BBC, Thomas talked about how he hoped that his coming out would mean that in the future, young gay rugby players would be able to come out and be accepted as a "talented gay rugby player".  Thomas also said, "What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby". Since coming out, Thomas has become a vocal supporter of the British charity ChildLine, a telephone counselling service for children and young people. In an interview, Thomas commented, "I don't know if my life is going to be easier because I'm out, but if it helps someone else, if it makes one young lad pick up the phone to ChildLine, then it will have been worth it".

Health scare

Thomas suffered a major health scare after the resignation of Welsh coach Mike Ruddock in February 2006. The resignation was blamed on player power from senior players. He had received a blow to his neck during a match then later on while watching a televised recording of an interview he had given regarding his part in the Mike Ruddock affair, he fell ill and was rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke, which was brought on by a ruptured artery in his neck. It was feared that this could lead to his retirement, but he resumed playing at the start of the 2006–07 French rugby season.

Nickname

Gareth Thomas is often referred to by the nickname "Alfie", gained as a result of a supposed resemblance to the alien title character in a sitcom called ALF.  His way of celebrating tries by slapping his head comes from a popular celebration among Cardiff City supporters known as "the Ayatollah".

Film

Actor Mickey Rourke has said that he would like to play Thomas in a movie of his life, which is due to start filming in 2012. Thomas was later reported to be working with a writer on the script of the biopic. On RTE program Craig Doyle Live in March 2012 Thomas announced that Tom Hardy is in talks to play him in the film. Mickey Rourke has announced that he has given back the part to the producers.

Rugby league career

Thomas joined Crusaders in March 2010 on an 18 month deal. He made his Crusaders' (and rugby league) debut against French side Catalans Dragons on 19 March 2010. Thomas suffered a head injury during his debut, and as a result had to leave the field after thirty minutes. Crusaders went on to win the game 14–6. Thomas went on to score his first try for the Crusaders against Wakefield Trinity in a 20-10 away victory on April 11. A groin injury prematurely ended Thomas' first season in rugby league, but his recovery was hoped to be complete in time for the 2010 European Cup, for which Thomas was selected in the Welsh preliminary squad.

In a warm-up test before the European Cup, he made a try-scoring international rugby league debut in Wales 13-6 loss to Italy in October 2010.  He scored again in his next international vs Scotland. In the final game of the tournament, Thomas was appointed captain, filling in for the injured Lee Briers. He scored a try in that game, helping Wales to a one-point win for both the European Cup Trophy and a spot in the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations.

On July 9th 2011, Thomas confirmed on Twitter that he had broken his left arm during the 38-10 defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers, and expected to be sidelined for two months. After missing the rest of the season and failing to reach 100% fitness before the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament, on 25 October 2011 Thomas announced his immediate retirement.

Media career

Thomas was an analyst for ITV's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

In January 2012, Thomas entered Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother as a housemate and took third place.

In 2012 Thomas made a cameo appearance as himself in an episode of the UK TV comedy drama Stella.

Thomas is also one of eight celebrities chosen to participate in an intense week learning Welsh in an eco-friendly chic campsite in Pembrokeshire in the series cariad@iaith:love4language shown on S4C in May 2012

Charity career

Gareth has recently become president of a Music and sports foundation www.lifemusicfoundation.org/ .  He has decided to raise funds for the charity by hosting a celebrity gala dinner and fund raising event and the Celtic Manor Resort.  You can read more about the event on http://www.lifemusicfoundation.blogspot.com .