MIKE MATTHEWS ARTWORKS

2013 was a massive year for me personally and the most successful fundraising year that I have had so far.  Along with my good mate, Andy Porter, I raised £13,500 by taking part in ZSL's Streak for Tigers in August 2013.  Together, we also kick-started the fundraising arm of WHF named A Call For Nature, which we hope will raise even more money for animal causes throughout the world.

In 2013, I donated some of the profits from my artwork, t-shirts and Christmas cards to 21st Century Tiger, The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA), and Helping Rhinos.org.  I also designed t-shirts for Danny Horsfield's 6 Tiger Challenge and a Christmas Card for Wildlife Vets International.

See below for more details.

A group of tigers is called a 'Streak' and there are currently only 300 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild.  So to raise awareness and some much needed money for Sumatran tigers, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) organised an event on 15th August, whereby 300 mad people did a streak around London Zoo.  I plucked up the courage to sign up, along with WHF Photographer Andy Porter.  This was the most surreal thing that either of us had ever done and WELL OUTSIDE OF OUR COMFORT ZONES, but we're glad we did it, as we raised £13,500 + gift aid (25%) of which we gave £2,250 to London Zoo (their highest fundraisers) and the rest was donated to WHF towards building new snow leopard enclosures.

Below are some promotional videos that we made.  Take a moment to watch them, but be warned that these videos contain some disturbing images of big cats suffering in the wild, as well as some pictures of me and Andy in the nude. BE WARNED and enjoy!

Full 12 Minute Streak For Tigers Video *GRAPHIC CONTENT*

           What About Us?                                 Trailer No. 1                                   Trailer No. 2

Since 2008, I have been volunteering on a regular basis at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which is the UK's largest specialist Big Cat Breeding Centre, housing over 50 big cats.  As well as donating my time, I also fundraise and donate many of my original paintings, as well as the profits from the sales of WHF themed merchandise that I have designed, all of which are available to purchase through my webstore.

I have designed some unique and original t-shirts for Helping Rhinos which is a charity set up by Simon Jones to raise awareness of the plight of all 5 species of endangered Rhino.  100% of the profits go to helpingrhinos.org. You can purchase the t-shirts here.

21st Century Tiger is the UK's leading tiger charity based at ZSL which raises funds for tiger conservation.  To help, I have designed and donated some of my tiger artwork and t-shirts to them, which you can purchase via my webstore or view at 21st Century Tigers website here.

The AMUR LEOPARD and TIGER ALLIANCE (ALTA) are based at ZSL and are working to protect both Amur Leopards and Tigers, two of the most magnificent and endangered Big Cats in the world.  I am working with them by designing a new logo they can use, as well as donating the profits from some of my Amur Leopard and Tiger items in my webstore. Click here to visit their website.