Ronan Keating - Charity Work

Charity Work

In October 2005 shortly after joining Christian Aid and the Trade Justice Campaign in 2004, Keating went to Rome where he was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador via the Food and Agricultural Organisation.

Keating ran in the London Marathon on 13 April 2008 to raise money for Cancer Research, with a personal best time of 3hr 59min. He has also walked the length of Ireland twice, each time raising money for the Marie Keating Foundation, now linked to Cancer Research in the UK. Each year the foundation holds charity balls and various events, raising funds to keep their mobile units on the road.

In 2009 Keating climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Comic Relief; joining him were Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles, Ben Shephard, Kimberley Walsh, Denise van Outen, Fearne Cotton, Alesha Dixon and Cheryl Cole.

In June 2009 Keating received a Special Achievement Award from Cancer Research UK – he was singled out for his work with them since 2006. He, along with the Marie Keating Charity, has helped to raise over £1.7 million for the UK charity. This money is used to fund three special mobile units which raise awareness throughout the UK.

In October 2009 he pulled out of the Chicago Marathon due to the sudden death of his bandmate Stephen Gately; he had intended to run in memory of his mother.

In September 2011 he swam the Irish sea 90 km stretch from Dublin to Holyhead with a team of celebrities to raise money for cancer charities and set a new Guinness World Record for open water swimming with a 11-member celebrity team. They raised £1 million for Cancer Research Britain and the Marie Keating Foundation.