Who’s our new Patron?

Read on to find out which irrepressible children’s TV personality is the latest Patron of Make-A-Wish...

We’re delighted to announce as the latest Make-A-Wish Patron well-known TV presenter Justin Fletcher MBE, also known as Mr Tumble on the popular CBeebies television channel.

Justin has been a long-time supporter of Make-A-Wish and helped grant many magical wishes. A recent example involved meeting Charlie, Chloe, Jessica and Joshua at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey. All four children are under seven years old and have to cope every day with serious debilitating health problems which, among other things, adversely affect their hearing. They are all avid fans of Mr Tumble, watching him on DVD or TV for many hours. They felt especially proud to be able to communicate through the use of Makaton sign language, which they learnt from him.

Chloe’s Mother explained afterwards just how much the meeting with Justin meant:

“It was the best day my partner John and I have ever shared with Chloe and it made unforgettable memories. We wanted to live it all again, as it was just perfect!

“I was really impressed that Justin engaged Chloe in conversation as well as focusing on entertaining her. He talked about Makaton and its origins and development and how he believes it helps children like Chloe. It was so interesting to listen to him!”

Commenting on Justin’s appointment, Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Neil Jones said:

“Make-A-Wish is extremely proud to have Justin as a Patron. His dedication and commitment is already a huge asset to the charity. He has met many of our wish children and is always so generous with his time; he has played a really big part in bringing magic into some of the most deserving young lives you can imagine. We are very honoured to welcome Justin to our team.”

Justin himself told us: “Being asked to be a Patron of Make-A-Wish is a huge honour. The magic the charity puts into children's lives is just incredible.”