Coca-Cola has taken to the streets to unearth some of the nation’s most inspirational young sporting talent to celebrate its partnership with the charity StreetGames.

Coca-Cola have come together with charity StreetGames which provides access to doorstep sport for young people in disadvantaged communities around the UK to search for the UK’s most inspirational young sporting talent and to mark the partnership, they’ve commissioned a series of photographs featuring inspiring young people from StreetGames sport projects around the UK.

The images, shot by leading portrait photographer Zak Waters, feature the young people showcasing their sport in their local area. Those taking centre-stage range from footballers to dancers to BMX riders, all chosen because they have an inspirational personal story about how StreetGames has played a positive role in their lives.

StreetGames delivers sporting opportunities directly to the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, giving young people a chance to play, compete and be coached on their own doorstep. Beyond the enjoyment and health gains of taking part in sport, it offers participants the chance to gain qualifications and valuable life skills in a context that they feel more comfortable with, benefiting the individuals and the communities they live in.

One youth featured in the new campaign is Amin Kashy, who moved to the West End of Newcastle from Iran as a young boy and did not speak English. He got involved with StreetGames in 2006, regularly playing football in local tournaments. Now 19 years old, and with the help of StreetGames, Amin has taken his FA Level 1 coaching badge, volunteers his skills as a coach at a local football club and attends university where he studies law. His ambition is to become a sports lawyer.

The photography will be shown in cities around the UK on giant billboards, donated by Coca-Cola GB and more usually reserved for advertising images of their roster of elite athletes. The shots aim to inspire other young people to find out more and get involved with their local StreetGames projects.

The billboards will also coincide with a series of StreetGames sports festivals running around the UK during the summer. The StreetGames festivals are open to young people who attend regular weekly sessions in their communities and are a way of rewarding them for attendance and encouraging them to bring new friends to join in.

More photos giving a flavour of local StreetGames projects will be turned into mini exhibitions in the six major cities and an online gallery of the entire project will be showcased on coca-cola.co.uk/health/streetgames and streetgames.org.

Duo perform together for Key’s Keep A Child Alive Black Ball.

Camden’s Roundhouse was the scene for a mix of stars, singing and some serious fundraising last night.

For the third time in three years, Key’s hosted her Black Ball for her charity Keep A Child Alive, which raises money for children in Africa and India affected by HIV and AIDS. Keys was joined onstage by Paloma Faith, Tinie Tempah, Gossip’s Beth Ditto, Spank Rock and Boy George, with musical direction by Mark Ronson. Those in the audience watching included Wretch 32, Chipmunk, Loick Essien, Jay Sean and Desperate Housewives‘ Jesse Metcalfe.

Particularly impressive was a performance from Beth Ditto whose soul/ gospel voice was jawdropping, while Boy George, who the day before turned 50, also sounded amazing. The highlight of course had to be watching Tinie and Keys perform Written In The Stars – watching Tinie bump-n-grind Alicia even though her husband Swizz Beatz was sat in front of him (respect Tinie!) was jokes. Tinie looked pretty darn happy to be sharing a stage with the soul star.

Check the clip below for some of the shows highlights, including Written and Empire State Of Mind.

One no-show was George Michael, who Keys had asked to come and perform Freedom. Michael cried off with an infected mouth but Keys was clearly not bovved. “We don’t need him anyway,” she shrugged. “I think he had trouble parking,” she laughed, making reference to that Snappy Snaps incident from a few years back (Michael crashed his Range Rover into a branch of the shop in Hampstead at 3AM. Amazing).

Earlier in the evening a charity auction saw £177,00 raised for KACA; Tinie bid £24,000 on a portrait of Michael Jackson but was outbid. A man called Christian successfully bid £20,000 for a studio session with Mark Ronson.

Ultimately though the most important part of the night was raising awareness for Keys’ incredible charity. To donate – even £1!!! – go to keepachildalive.org

On February 15 Mark Ronson will host the biggest post-BRIT Awards party featuring a headline set from him and his band Business Intl. as well as special invited guests, all in the name of the War Child charity.

War Child and O2 have announced BRIT Award winner Mark Ronson is to host this year’s biggest and best post BRITs event, the War Child post BRITs party at Indigo2. Inviting some very special guests along for the ride.

This intimate event is at the Indigo2 and will start at 10PM immediately following the BRIT Awards. War Child is supported for the evening by O2.

BRIT Award Best Male nominee Mark Ronson headlines with his band the Business Intl to deliver an all-star set of hits from his Version and Record Collection albums.

Mark Ronson offered: “Being asked to play the War Child post-Brits show is such a giant honour. And since I’m guilty of YouTubing the 2009 clip of Coldplay and Gary Barlow doing Back For Good for War Child at least 180 times, I know we better pull off some magical moments”.

This party also celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of War Child’s 1996 BRIT Award for its first album Help and 15 years of their unique work with music. To mark these 15 years, tickets to the event are priced at just £15.

In the last two years alone War Child has held events which have raised over £500,000 for their vital work with children suffering the most brutal effects of war. These events have featured The Killers, Coldplay, La Roux, Plan B, Madness and Kasabian, with special guest appearances from the likes of Bono, Gary Barlow, Al Murray and Noel Fielding.

The post-BRITs party is a celebration of great live music and the power of music to change people’s lives. All ticket proceeds will go to aid War Child’s work with children in war zones across the world. War Child is an official charity partner of the BRIT Awards.

For more information on War Child go to warchild.org.uk.

Tickets cost £15 standing, and £30 reserved seating. O2 customers can get Priority Tickets from 11AM Monday February 7, for further information visit o2priority.co.uk.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9AM Tuesday February 8 and can be booked through ticketmaster.co.uk.

VIP ticket packages are available direct from War Child, .uk

Previously: Mark Ronson Ft. Wiley, Pharrell, Wretch 32, MDNR & Professor Green – Record Collection (Remix) [AUDIO].

Inspired by Riz MC, Plan B is planning to release a version of his track Hard Times with Elton John and Paloma Faith for Pakistani flood victims.

According to The Sun, Plan B has been so inspired by the tireless efforts of Riz MC to raise money for the victims of last year’s floods in Pakistan that the rapper turned soul singer is planning to release a charity single featuring friends Elton John and Paloma Faith.

The idea for the release, which will be a version of his song Hard Times came about while filming his directorial debut Ill Manors [read more about the film here] “The reason why I first thought of doing the single is because of this guy Riz Ahmed (Riz MC) in my film – he’s Pakistani and he put on an event after the floods first happened.” continuing “I felt it was wrong that probably because of the s*** going on in the Middle East with the war that, as Westerners, we didn’t seem to give a f*** about Pakistani people. Kids were dying in floods, but it wasn’t promoted heavily over here as it was going on. Haiti was promoted when that happened, but it didn’t happen in Pakistan.”

Justin Bieber auctioning clothes, tickets and a meeting with himself for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Everybody’s favourite teen pop superstar Justin Bieber has teamed with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity to raise money with through an auction. As part of the auction you can bid for a chance to meet Justin and see him live in concert as well as bid for items of Justin’s clothing. All items were donated by Justin himself to raise money for this great cause. Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity raises money to enable the hospital to provide world-class care for young patients and their families, and to pioneer new treatments and cures for childhood illnesses. For more information about Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity please visit gosh.org.

The auction kicked off on Ebay last week and finishes on Sunday December 12. Items available to buy include pairs of Justin’s trainers, tee shirts, jackets and jeans as well as some special gig tickets with a backstage meet and greet with Justin! Proceeds from this auction go to supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity so get bidding here.

Pop duo The Ting Tings will join electropop pioneers Pet Shop Boys for Mencap’s Big Noise Session on December 8.

Pet Shop Boys will be supported by The Ting Tings at Mencap’s Big Noise Session on December 8 at the hmv Hammersmith Apollo. Tickets are selling out fast so head to littlenoisesessions.org.uk to get yours. All proceeds from the show go to learning disability charity Mencap.

Ting Ting’s said, “We were very proud to be part of this great cause and we played the Mencap Little Noise chapel show in 2008. This time we get to be a part of it again playing the Big Noise Session with the Pet Shop Boys, one of our most loved bands”.

Mencap’s Big Noise Session is a new addition to the much-loved Little Noise Sessions, curated and hosted by the legendary DJ and Mencap ambassador Jo Whiley. Last year’s inaugural event saw bonafide superstars Coldplay perform a one-off homecoming gig in Exeter and now it’s the turn of Pet Shop Boys and The Ting Tings to bring their magic to Big Noise as it makes its London debut.

Roll Deep and Skepta will join N-Dubz at the Preston Guild Hall on November 15 with ETO Jeans for Cash For Kids.

We brought you the news last week that N-Dubz and ETO Jeans were coming together in Preston on November 15 to raise funds for charity Cash For Kids. Well now you can add Roll Deep and Skepta to that line-up which will take place at the Preston Guild Hall will cost £15 and kick off at 7:30PM.

More details can be found on etojeans.co.uk.

N-Dubz will help raise money with ETO Jeans for Cash For Kids at Preston Guild Hall on November 15.

N-Dubz and ETO Jeans are coming together in Preston on November 15 to raise funds for charity Cash For Kids. The event which will take place at the Preston Guild Hall will cost £15 and kick off at 7:30PM.

More details can be found on etojeans.co.uk.

JLS give their new single Love You More to Pudsey The Bear for Children In Need.JLS stopped by Radio 1 this morning to tell Chris Moyles that their new single Love You More will be released as this year’s official Children In Need single.

The former X-Factor runners up will release the single on November 14 and the band consider the partnership a huge honour “It’s a special single because this is the first single that we’ve written and it’s all for a good cause.”

Children In Need will raise money for disadvantaged young people across the UK on November 19 this year and JLS are excited to help “We’ve been getting involved in a lot of charity work this side of the year. We’ve just launched the JLS Foundation, which is our own charity. This is another thing that we’re doing to give back and help and support those who need it most.”

Dalston Oxfam will host a four-night run of gigs to raise money for the charity.

Johnny Borrell, Diana Vickers, The Charlatans and Four Tet will be headlining a four-night run of gigs in the Dalston Oxfam shop in East London, performing amongst the shelves of books and rails of clothing to launch our month-long, nationwide music festival, Oxjam. The shows run from Monday 27 to Thursday 30 September.

The confirmed line-up so far, with more to be added, is:
Monday 27 September: The Charlatans (plus special guest Tom Furse from The Horrors), dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip plus more TBC. Hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens.

Tuesday 28 September: Diana Vickers, Pearl & The Puppets plus more TBC

Wednesday 29 September: Johnny Borrell, Little Comets plus more TBC

Thursday 30 September: Four Tet plus more TBC