Success for Hackney Speakers' charity Gala
Two hundred and fifty local business representatives, councillors, Mayors from several London boroughs and guests came together to fundraise for the Hackney Speakers' chosen charities; St Mungo's and the Fairbridge programme of The Prince's Trust.
The Gala Dinner, held in the refurbished Assembly Rooms of the Town Hall, on 23 October, set the scene for guests to dig deep. Businesses such as BT, Primark, Burberry and Vitabiotics provided support by sponsoring the event and donating generous gifts for the raffle.
In total, over £18,600 was raised through sale of tickets, raffle and donations, all of which will be shared between the two charities.
Guests were entertained by an illuminated hoola hoop display and professional ballroom dancers, who gave them the opportunity to take to the dance floor to try out moves of their own. The evening concluded with a disco.
Russell Benson, Community and Events Fundraising Coordinator for St Mungo's, said: "We are delighted to be one of the Speakers' charities of the year raising funds for St Mungo's. Money raised from the dinner and other activities this year allows us to continue our vital work of supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Hackney and beyond."
Georgia Bridgwood, Individual Giving Executive for The Prince's Trust, said: "The Prince's Trust is immensely grateful to have support from The Speaker this year. The dinner was a great success, and the money raised will help support disadvantaged young people in Hackney to re-engage with education, find their strengths and pursue a positive future."
This fabulous dinner reflected the changing face of Hackney, numerous businesses including Barratt Homes, BT, Barclays Bank, Berkeley Homes, Greenwich Leisure and many other smaller local businesses supported the event, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
