Is celebrity investment in grassroot change a good thing?

Stormzy and Beyonce are some of the latest public figures to use their wealth for social good. But are these endeavours just token gestures?

In the past year, celebrities have been more open in sharing financial investments — specifically those aimed at supporting grassroots communities. Stars have been leveraging their wealth and status for the ostensible good of underprivileged people and organisations.

Stormzy recently invested in his childhood football club, Croydon Athletic, which has battled tough economic times over the past decade.

Last week, it was also announced that Beyoncé is supporting a new affordable housing development in Houston, which aims to combat the city’s homelessness epidemic.

You’d be hard pressed to argue that these initiatives aren’t well-intentioned. To have them is certainly better than a celebrity landscape void of philanthropy or socio-economic investment.

The issue is rather whether these endeavours can amount to substantial positive change, instead of shrouding the issues of underprivileged people in the shadow of a self-congratulatory celebrity.