EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS
FLYING HIGH AMONG THE STARS
JOHN CAUDWELL RAISES £1.2M FOR HIS CHARITY ON A SPECTACULAR NIGHT
Children are at the heart of his charity work, so it was only fitting that philanthropist John Caudwell was surrounded by his family as he hosted his annual Butterfly Ball in a spectacular setting.
And hello! was there to share in all the glamour and inspiration as the entrepreneur and his partner Modesta Vzesniauskaite welcomed a glittering guest list to the grounds of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire for the lavish fundraiser, which raised over £1.2m for Caudwell Children.
As well as TV personality and author Christine McGuinness and former rugby union star Chris Robshaw, John was supported by three of his adult children: Libby, 36, Scarlett, 22, and Jacobi, 20.
DOING GOOD DEEDS
“My quest is to help every child in the UK,” John told us. “All my kids are fairly healthy, but there are so many children out there who desperately need help. That is my drive: to raise as much money as I can to help as many children as possible.”
The charity was founded by John, 71, in 2000 to provide vital autism assessments, specialised equipment and life-skills training for young neurodivergent people.
And Modesta, 40, who is an ambassador for Caudwell Children and organises Monaco’s annual edition of the Butterfly Ball, hopes that her and John’s children – William, three, and Isabella, one – will follow in their footsteps.
“I hope our children are inspired to carry on the hard work,” the former Olympic cyclist told us. “I want them to see how much energy goes into helping other children.”
NEXT GENERATION
The cause is also close to Christine’s heart: not only did the star receive her own autism diagnosis aged 31, but all three of her children with TV presenter ex-husband Paddy are autistic, too.
“There’s still a long way to go to get people to understand it,” she told us. “Autism gives
