Fundraising triumph for UK's food and hospitality industry
28 March 2014
£135,000 raised at Victoria and Albert Museum ball to help tackle hunger in Africa
The UK food and hospitality industry was out in force last night, raising an incredible £132,000 for its ongoing Food for Good campaign in aid of Farm Africa which is playing a vital role in tackling hunger in eastern Africa.
The enormous sum was raised by over 200 guests from the industry at the Food for Good Ball, a major fundraising event organised by the leading UK charity Farm Africa.
And with each place at the ball sold for £350 - a sum that can help take an African family out of hunger – each guest was literally transforming lives in eastern Africa by simply being there.
The ball was staged under the Dome in the magnificent surroundings of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
Weighing in with particularly strong support for the evening were the Ball’s Platinum Sponsors: ABP Food Group and Compass Group UK and Ireland.
The £132,000 raised last night - in addition to £750,000 already raised since the first challenge event in 2011 when food industry leaders climbed Mount Kilimanjaro - will play a vital role in helping Farm Africa to realise one of its key aims this year: expanding the range of its life-changing work to 2 million people across eastern Africa.
Responding to the incredible amount raised, Farm Africa’s Chairman Richard Macdonald, said:
“Last night was a powerful demonstration of what can be achieved when the industry comes together, even in the face of a very challenging economic climate. But last night’s Food for Good Ball is just the start of something much bigger as we redouble our efforts to raise even more, so we can achieve our aim of broadening our work to end hunger.”
Sumptuous dinner and high-class entertainment in a splendid location
One of the undoubted highlights of the evening was a sumptuous dinner prepared by the Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton of Pollen Street Social. Guests were treated to a wild duck and bramble salad starter, roasted beef fillet with braised oxtail and marrow and horseradish mash, before finishing with an exquisitely exotic coconut rice pudding served with pickled mango.
The restaurant supremo, who describes Farm Africa as “a cause close to my heart”, was thrilled to play such an important part in the evening’s success, saying:
“By coming together to raise as much money as we could on the night, the food and hospitality sectors have shown just how much we can all do in the coming year and beyond to support Farm Africa’s work in tackling hunger – for good.”
In addition to enjoying a Michelin Star quality menu, guests were also treated to a wide range of entertainment throughout the evening. Former England and British Lions rugby player Martin Bayfield acted as Master of Ceremonies, regaling guests with a highly amusing speech over dinner; the Surrey East African Dance and Arts Group provided a distinctive African flavour to the evening with a dance performance; and the Noa Alvarez Quartet lent the evening some late night sophistication with an after dinner jazz set.
Looking back on the evening, Martin Bayfield said:
“As a former international rugby player I know a thing or two about big occasions. So I’m extremely proud to have played my part in ensuring that Farm Africa’s first Food for Good Ball was such a success. Most importantly the money raised will do so much to transform the lives of rural communities in Africa.”
You can find out much more about both Farm Africa’s Food for Good Ball and how you or your company can get involved in Food for Good here: http://www.farmafrica.org/food-for-good/food-for-good-ball
Images from the evening are available here: http://resources.farmafrica.org/?c=500&k=6c04971a62
A video of Jason Atherton talking to Farm Africa about why he is so excited to be supporting Farm Africa’s Food for Good Ball is available here: http://www.farmafrica.org/food-for-good-ball/food-for-good-ball
Please double click on any image for download options.
Ends
Notes to Editor:
For more information, please contact the Farm Africa Press Office:
Matt Whitticase, 020 7067 1237 / mattheww@farmafrica.org
Ngaio Bowthorpe, 0207841 5156/ ngaiob@farmafrica.org
About Food for Good
Food for Good is a Farm Africa initiative that is bringing together the food and hospitality industries to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the world today: hunger. You can find out more about Food for Good here: www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood / 0207 067 1254.
Images from Food for Good events in 2013 are available via an online collection which is available here: http://resources.farmafrica.org/?c=360&k=b0db057371 Click on any images for download options.
Farm Africa is also the official charity partner for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2014, sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.
In 2013 Food for Good sponsored events raised more than £500,000 for Farm Africa. In May, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand, Judith Batchelar, led a team of twelve women in digging a huge fish pond in rural Kenya that will be a lasting source of nutrition and income for years to come. In August the leading UK chef Ashley Palmer-Watts led a team of chefs and restaurateurs on a successful sponsored climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. And in September a team of senior food industry executives trekked across some of the most unhospitable terrain in the world in the Tanzanian Highlands.
Cosine UK and Barfoots of Botley, also showed incredible support for Food for Good in 2013 by staging their own fundraising balls.
About Farm Africa
Farm Africa supports farmers living at subsistence level, constantly at risk of crop failure, to build food and income security so that they can grow a better and reliable future for their families.
By focusing on ‘climate smart’ agricultural and forestry techniques, building market links and adding value to production, Farm Africa unleashes the entrepreneurial abilities of the farmers and rural communities they work with.
Farm Africa believes passionately that smallholders can and will play a key role in achieving rural prosperity in Africa.
