Ricky Gervais Receives Animal Advocacy Award Honoring Jane Goodall
The inaugural Jane Goodall Institute Hope Gala took place in central London on March 23. The event named Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan among the first recipients of a new award.
Ricky Gervais and the award
Ricky Gervais, 64, accepted an animal advocacy award honoring Jane Goodall. The Hampstead-based comedian has long championed animal rights.
He recently donated almost £2.5 million to a group of animal charities from his Mortality stand-up tour. Gervais posted a photograph on Instagram thanking The Jane Goodall Institute UK for his “Unwavering Advocacy for Animals” Award, writing that it was “going on the shelf!”
Peter Egan’s campaigning
Peter Egan, Gervais’s fellow Afterlife star, is a committed animal welfare advocate. He was a long-standing Hampstead resident until moving out a few years ago.
Egan is co-founder and patron of All Dogs Matter, a North London charity based in East Finchley. He also supports Animals Asia and Change For Animals.
Jane Goodall’s legacy
Jane Goodall was born in Hampstead in 1934 and died last October at the age of 91. Her chimpanzee research began in Tanzania in 1960.
That field study became the longest ever undertaken of a wild animal group. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to protect chimpanzees and support youth projects.
Other honorees and gala details
Dr Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia, was also honoured. She was recognised for her 30-year campaign to abolish bear bile farming.
The gala raised funds for the Jane Goodall Institute UK and Roots & Shoots UK. The evening featured a live auction and a curated silent auction.
The Jane Goodall Hope Awards celebrate people whose dedication helps transform the future for animals, people, and the planet. Filmogaz.com covered the gala and its honourees.
