Variety, the Children’s Charity, today announced that national treasure, Barbara Windsor MBE will launch the ‘I Love A Bit of Variety’ T-shirt campaign. The actress, who was presented with the Variety ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award at the charity’s 2010 Showbiz Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, has been a Celebrity Ambassador of the charity for more than 30 years.

This will raise funds to support thousands of disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK who are supported by Variety. The T-shirt, which is available for £12 and comes in a range of styles and sizes, has been modelled by a host of celebrities who are supporting the campaign. So far, these include Richard Branson, Leigh Francis aka Keith Lemon, Kimberley Walsh, Warren Brown, Martin Clunes, Kate Thornton, Warwick Davis, Katie Price, Sinitta, Aldo Zilli, Gaby Roslin, Michelle Collins, Hugo Speer, Jon Culshaw, Larry Lamb, David Morrissey, Eamonn Holmes, Kian Egan, Nina Conti, Hayley Tamaddon, Alesha Dixon, Matt Johnson, Julie Graham, Joe McGann, Claire King, Anna Williamson, Terry Mynott, Heather Small, Billy Murray, Bobby Davro, Tamzin Outhwaite, Neil Stuke, Kristina Rihanoff, Vic Reeves, Nancy Sorrell, Frankie Bridge, Lisa Maxwell, Nick Ferrari, Sam Faiers, Vanessa Feltz, Ben Ofoedu, Amanda Lamb, Martin Kemp, John Michie, Lauren Goodger, Sian Welby, Gok Wan, Sharon Marshall, Michelle Heaton, Blue, Andrew Castle, Matt Evers, Greg Burns, Joe McFadden, June Brown and many more to come…

Barbara said of her new role:

“I’m always honoured to represent Variety, the Children’s Charity, and to support the incredible work it does across the country. The welfare of disabled or disadvantaged young people should be top of every agenda, and I’ll be wearing my ‘I Love A Bit of Variety’ T-shirt with real pride.”

Variety Chief Barker Jason Lewis said:

“Variety has a rich heritage of support from the showbusiness community and so it is only right that we continue to move forward and work with the stars of today. Over the years, Barbara has often dedicated her time to the charity and we know that, with her support alongside our other celebrities, we can mobilise even more people around the country to help Variety to improve the lives of children and young people who are less fortunate than others.”

Variety, the Children’s Charity, is dedicated to supporting children and young people across the UK who are disabled or disadvantaged, facilitating positive experiences for them through its wide range of programmes and initiatives. Since setting up its UK division in 1949, the charity has raised over £200 million and supported more than 800,000 children.

The former “Carry On” star joins a long line of illustrious celebrities who have supported Variety since its inception. The charity has its roots in the showbiz industry and Sir Michael Caine, James McAvoy, Steven Frayne aka Dynamo, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Joan Collins are just some of the many stars who have pledged their backing in previous years and helped contribute towards Variety’s rich entertainment heritage.