Take That star Gary Barlow rallies support for warm-hearted Sheffield songwriter's charity single

Eliot Kennedy, whose compositions include hits for Take That, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and Spice Girls, was moved to write and produce ‘This Christmas’ after learning that 6.7million households could be in fuel poverty this winter.

In a video message posted on social media, Gary Barlow said: “Wishing my friend Eliot Kennedy all the best with his new single this Christmas which is in aid of National Energy Action. Stay warm this Christmas everybody and see you soon. Happy Christmas."

Eliot, who lives in Sheffield, said: “I am thrilled with the support so far, but I want to do as much as I can for families really struggling with energy bills. I am so sad that we live in a country where families are having to make a decision between heating or eating. It’s tragic and our leaders should be ashamed of themselves. "

“For those who don’t need it and can afford to, it would be incredible if they’d consider donating their Winter Fuel Payment or Energy Bill Support Grant to National Energy Action’s Winter Warmth appeal. The hope is this Christmas single raises awareness for the cause.”

His single is available to download on the JustGiving site where it has raised nearly £1,000. ‘This Christmas’ tells the story of a guy who lets down his girl and finds himself out in the cold. Eliot said: “It’s an up-tempo pop song and a fun way of saying, stay warm this Christmas. There’s a serious message behind it, but rather than a heavy big ballad designed to make people feel bad, I wanted to do something fun and light-hearted, that sounded more like me.”

Eliot will be performing ‘This Christmas’ live at John Reilly’s concert at the Octagon, Sheffield, on Friday, December 16.

One of the UK’s most successful songwriters and sought-after music producers, Eliot collaborated with Gary Barlow on writing the number one hit ‘Everything Changes’, songs for the musical ‘Finding Neverland’ and the Queen’s jubilee song ‘Sing’. Gary said: “I have worked with Eliot for nearly 20 years, he is like a brother to me, musical theatre is now a passion of ours. Eliot is a rare talent who moves effortlessly between composing some of the world’s biggest pop songs, to smash hit musical theatre and film. He is one of music industry’s most sought-after producers.”

Dividing his time between Nashville and his beloved South Yorkshire, Eliot owns Steel Works Studios in Sheffield. He recently produced Donny Osmond’s 60th album at Steel Works studios to celebrate Donny’s 51 years in music.Bryan Adams, with whom Eliot has worked for 15 years, said: “Eliot is very modest but his hit songs must have sold at least 50 million records worldwide. He is my go-to partner for song writing, he is a creative genius and has one of the best music studios in the UK.”

Eliot has collaborated on TV shows such as the X-Factor, where he was talent development director and mentored global superstars One Direction and Little Mix.

To donate to National Energy Action or find out more about the charity’s work, go to www.nea.org.uk