Jeremy Irons shares story of HOPE

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In a new radio interview, award-winning actor and HOPE Special Ambassador Jeremy Irons has shared how he helped to set up a transformative outdoor space for vulnerable girls in a HOPE Residential Childcare Centre.

The actor was recently interviewed by presenter Ray D'Arcy of Irish radio station RTE, about his long-standing support for HOPE, as the organisation celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Speaking candidly of his trip to Kolkata to visit HOPE programmes, Jeremy said: "I remember we went to a girls’ school. All the girls were beautifully dressed and they had made cakes and cards, and they showed me around where they lived and where they learnt.

"And we went out onto the roof and it was a flat roof and there was laundry out there. Now, the girls can’t go out in the same way as the boys. The boys have football pitches and they can go out and rough and tumble and play football. But the girls can’t in that society, because they have to be protected. And I said ‘well, where do they exercise?’ and they said ‘well they don’t, they go for walks all together’."

"It doesn't take a lot of money to do a huge amount of good."

Jeremy Irons

HOPE Special Ambassador

Jeremy then revealed that he suggested that the roof be transformed into a netball court and garden with raised beds for vegetables, which he would fund.

"Now they have an outdoor space where they play netball, great high netting fences, so the balls don’t whack off the roof," Jeremy said, adding: "It doesn’t take a lot of money to do a huge amount of good."

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