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Hollywood star to speak at journalist's memorial

Watch Adrian Sudbury’s Memorial Service live from Sheffield Cathedral on the Huddersfield Daily Examiner site from 2pm

Actor Sean Bean will be among the guests at the memorial service for campaigining journalist Adrian Sudbury today.

The 49-year-old actor will join friends, family and colleagues of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner reporter who died in August of leukaemia.

Bean, who starred in Sharpe, Patriot Games and Lord of the Rings star will read an extract from a poem called ‘On Death’ by Indian poet Khalil Gibran.

The service starts at 2pm at Sheffield Cathedral and will be broadcast live on the Daily Examiner’s website – believed to be the first time a UK newspapers has been able to provide such a broadcast, according to the Trinity Mirror daily.

The theme for the day is ‘dress to impress’. A private family funeral was held in August but Adrian wished for this service to be a more open, upbeat affair.

There will also be a message from Adrian himself, read by the chaplain, a video montage of photos and video clips from Adrian’s bone marrow awareness raising campaign.

During the final months of his life, the 27-year-old fought to have compulsory classes about bone marrow, blood and organ donation added to the sixth form curriculum.

He met Gordon Brown and was interviewed on BBC radio and Channel 5 by Natasha Kaplinsky who will also feature in the video.

Examiner reporter Katie Campling, who worked closely with Adrian on his campaign, said: “We’re expecting a couple of 100 people but it’s hard to put a definite figure on it.

“We’re also expecting people to come up from London. Sean Bean met Adrian last year when they did an appeal for equipment at the leukaemia ward at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.”

  • An announcement is expected next week on whether thousands of pounds will be pumped into four pilot education schemes – all in response to Adrian’s campaign. The projects would run as a joint venture between leukaemia charity Anthony Nolan Trust, the Department of Health and Department of Education.

    Teaching staff or volunteers would be trained to go into schools to speak to pupils about blood, bone marrow and organ donation. The four pilot areas are Huddersfield, Nottinghamshire where Adrian was born and two others yet to be named.