VIDEO: Yorkshire tycoon records Christmas charity song for Children’s Hospital

He swapped the boardroom for the recording studio and teamed up with Sheffield’s own Grammy award winning producer Eliot Kennedy to record new song Travelling Home For Christmas.

It will raise awareness and funds towards the cost of redeveloping the cancer and leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

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Graham, who plays guitar and sings on the single, backed with a children's choir, was to perform the song live at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital's Snowflake Christmas lights switch on Monday, December 2.

A Resident Professor of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Huddersfield University, he has been involved in other major community initiatives.He was at the Hillsborough tragedy and in a bid to ensure such a disaster would never be repeated. he teamed up with Sir John Harman to create Europe’s first ever 25,000 all-seater football and rugby stadium in Huddersfield.In 2017 he received a CBE from the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, for his services to entrepreneurship.He made his name when he saved the NHS billions with the creation of his store brand pharmaceutical business Galpharm International

Graham said: “The reason I’m supporting this cause is I once had the experience of not being able to be with my children one Christmas and I was very fortunate to be able to visit the hospital and entertain the patients with cards, tricks and my guitar.

“I hope people get behind the charity single and give a valuable gift to those children and their families in hospital facing a difficult Christmas this year.

"I feel passionately about family, and about the work of Sheffield Children’s Hospital, which is invaluable of course all year round.”

Sheffield songwriter to the stars Eliot, who has written and produced hits for the Spice Girls, Take That, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Bryan Adams and many more, has raised a fortune for charities with his all-star charity concerts and was eager to help.

He said: “I’ve known Graham for over 15 years but when he rocked up with a guitar and told me about his song writing I had no clue he had this talent.

"It’s been enormous fun working with him. He is a brilliant man who has always kept grounded in his community, and we are like minds. Both of us understand the value of family, of community, and I urge everyone to support the Sheffield Children’s Hospital this Christmas.”

All proceeds will go The Children’s Hospital Charity to help improve experiences faced by young patients like Andrew Davies, who was just 13 when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in September 2012.

The aggressive form of cancer is caused by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood. The teenager began chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant, spending 25 days in isolation.

The care he received at Sheffield Children’s Hospital ensured that within three months Andrew could resume his life once again and was able to return to school.

“Sheffield Children’s Hospital is a phenomenal place and I really don’t know what would have happened to me had I not been treated there, which is a scary thought,” said Andrew, now 20.

The Children’s Hospital Charity £2.75m appeal will transform the Cancer and Leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, with more space, privacy and natural light. It would create private patient rooms with en-suite facilities, giving patients a place to make their own and space for a parent to sleep comfortably alongside them.Sheffield Children’s Hospital receives less charitable funds than high profile children’s hospitals such as Great Ormond Street – despite serving a larger number of children.Last year, the London hospital raised £103.2m and had 225,570 patients, Sheffield received just £5m charitable funds with 270,000 patients.Sophie Coburn, Corporate Partnerships Officer at The Children’s Hospital Charity said, “A transformed Cancer and Leukaemia ward has never been more needed, and Graham’s efforts will make a huge difference to young patients across the region who depend on its incredible care.”

* To find out more about the appeal to transform the Cancer and Leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, visit www.tchc.org.uk/appeal