John Burton, the actor best known for his role as Sergeant Goodfellow in the BBC One series Father Brown, this month donated £500 to Baby Lifeline, following an event for fans of the show.
Members of the Father Brown Family Group, also known as “The Brownees” paid to have their photos taken with John, for his autograph, and for him to sign scripts from the series, which is now on its ninth series.
John, whose career also includes roles on Coronation Street, EastEnders, Casualty, Cold Feet and Afterlife lives close to Baby Lifeline’s office near Coventry. This local connection, as well as his daughter’s experience of baby loss, is what inspired him to give the money raised to Baby Lifeline.
“I’m a local guy and knew of the charity because of that, however, my daughter lost one of her twins during her pregnancy, so it’s something close to my heart,” said John. “Luckily for all of us, the other one survived, so I now have a beautiful nine-month-old granddaughter called Meadow.”
Judy Ledger, Founder and Chief Executive of Baby Lifeline, said: “Thank you to John for this generous donation. The money will support our work with NHS professionals, buying equipment, developing and providing critical training, and conducting research.”