Leaders of the richest economies of the world have been quick to bail out the banks. The total of bank bailouts to date is $18 trillion. Yet pledges of aid to developing countries are now under threat as some of these countries slash their aid budgets.

In an open letter in The Times and The Guardian, high profile personalities and businessmen and women called on G8 leaders not to renege on their promises of aid to developing countries and announced the launch of our fundraising appeal, which, along with ActionAids around the world, aims to raise £54 million over three years.

Signatories:

ALAN RICKMAN, ACTOR                   
ARTHUR SMITH, COMEDIAN AND WRITER                   
BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH, POET               
BILL NIGHY, ACTOR               
CAROL ANNE DUFFY, CBE, FRSL, POET LAUREATE           
DAMON ALBARN, MUSICIAN            
DAVID AARONOVITCH, JOURNALIST       
DAVID GILMOUR, CBE, MUSICIAN                    
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ACTOR
EMMA THOMPSON, ACTOR AND SCREENWRITER        
GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, ACTOR
GEORGE MONBIOT, AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST                     
GORDON RODDICK, SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND ENTREPRENEUR               
HARI KUNZRU, NOVELIST           
HUGH DENNIS, ACTOR AND COMEDIAN                   
IRVINE WELSH, NOVELIST                   
JAMES McAVOY, ACTOR               
JAMES PUREFOY, ACTOR                    
JAN RAVENS, ACTOR AND IMPRESSIONIST                    
JANE SEYMOUR, OBE,  ACTOR                   
JO BRAND, COMEDIAN               
JOHN PILGER, AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST
JONATHAN PRYCE, CBE, ACTOR               
JULIE WALTERS, CBE, ACTOR               
KEN LOACH, FILM DIRECTOR
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OLD VIC   
KIRSTY YOUNG, BROADCASTER               
KWAME KWEI-ARMAH, PLAYWRIGHT AND ACTOR               
LYNNE FRANKS,  AUTHOR AND PR
MARIO TESTINO, PHOTOGRAPHER                   
MARK RONSON, MUSIC PRODUCER                   
MATTHEW TAYLOR, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, RSA   
MIKE LEIGH, OBE, DIRECTOR OF FILM AND THEATRE                   
MIRIAM MARGOLYES, ACTOR                     
MORGAN SPURLOCK, DIRECTOR               
NAN SLOANE, DIRECTOR CENTRE FOR WOMEN AND DEMOCRACY   
NEAL LAWSON, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND CHAIR OF COMPASS       
NIGEL HAVERS, ACTOR                   
PROFESSOR NOAM CHOMSKY, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER                   
PAUL LAVERTY, SCREENWRITER
PETER GABRIEL, MUSICIAN                     
PROFESSOR A. C. GRAYLING, PHILOSOPHER
RICHARD CURTIS, CBE,  SCREENWRITER AND FILM DIRECTOR       
RORY BREMNER, FKC, IMPRESSIONIST AND PLAYWRIGHT               
SAM TAYLOR-WOOD, CONCEPTUAL ARTIST                
SHABANA AZMI, ACTOR AND ACTIVIST
SIR RANULPH FIENNES, OBE, EXPLORER                                          
SIR ROGER MOORE, KBE, ACTOR                                       
SIR TREVOR McDONALD, OBE,  BROADCASTER
SOPHIE OKONEDO, ACTOR
STEPHEN FRY, ACTOR AND DIRECTOR                                              
SUSIE ORBACH, PSYCHOTHERAPIST  AND AUTHOR                                          
TERRY JONES,  ACTOR, FILM DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR
TONY BENN, AUTHOR AND POLITICIAN                                                           
TONY ROBINSON, ACTOR AND BROADCASTER               
TRACEY EMIN, ARTIST
VICTORIA WOOD, CBE, COMEDIAN, ACTOR AND WRITER                                             
VIGGO MORTENSEN, ACTOR                                                  
YASMIN ALIBHAI-BROWN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR