Award winning actress Amanda Harris has taken on a very different role recently, following a long and successful acting career she has decided to volunteer her talents to support London based charity ‘Vital Regeneration’.  Amanda has committed to an internship based at flagship community facility; Greenside Community Centre.

Amanda has starred in many classics such as Othello, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role and has performed in many productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company.  Amanda is best known as a classic actress, however many of us will also have also seen her on our TV sets, acting in everything from Midsummer Murders to The Bill, Heartbeat to A Touch of Frost.

Many people can only dream of having a star studded career such as this, but, although grateful for all she has achieved, Amanda has always dreamed of working in the charity sector.  She told us why she wanted to get involved with Vital Regeneration and the difference we can all make to the local community by giving a little of our time.

Amanda Harris says; "I have always aspired to working in the charity sector.  It’s a pleasure to help out at a charity like Vital Regeneration, which does so much for the local community”. 

On Saturday10thDecember, Vital Regeneration held their annual Christmas event for the local community living in the estates of North Westminster.  For this event Amanda put down her usual elegant stage attire and instead dressed up as 'Esmeralda the Elf' to help Santa give out presents to the local children.  She then ran a storytelling workshop and helped out with all the Christmas games and activities.

Amanda goes on to say “This event is one of many that I hope to participate in; it gives me my first opportunity to get involved in meaningful grassroots activity.  I am indebted to Vital Regeneration for actually fulfilling their equal opportunities remit and having the imagination to understand my future plans of bringing drama to communities."

Sadia Ur-Rehman, Vital Regeneration, says; "We are proud to work alongside Amanda, and thrilled to have her support.  She is full of energy, enthusiasm and ideas and has brought all of this and more to her role with us.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

For press enquiries and images please contact: rash@vitalregen.org

Amanda Harris:

Olivier award winner Amanda Harris was born in Adelaide, South Australia, in 1963.  Brought up in New Guinea by English parents, Amanda came to the UK when she was 10 years old.  She is a Shakespearean stalwart, and performed in a myriad of classic productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Globe as well as other companies.

Her previous RSC productions include The Taming of the Shrew, Coriolanus and Two Noble Kinsmen, as well as 2004’s Othello, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role when it transferred to Trafalgar Studios.  At the Globe, she joined Kathryn Hunter’s 2003 all-female company in productions of Richard III and The Taming of the Shrew.  She has also appeared in many well known TV series such as Midsomer Murders, The Bill and Heartbeat.

Vital Regeneration:

Vital Regeneration is a registered charity working to transform London's most deprived neighborhoods.  They develop social, environmental and economic programmes, so that people and communities fulfill their potential through learning, employment and enterprise.  Their vision is for everyone to have equal expectations and opportunities in life and not to be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.

For more information about Vital Regeneration please visit: www.vitalregeneration.org