Yorkshire’s women came together on Saturday 8th November in order to raise funds for Leeds Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and Martin House Hospice – two charities working with terminally ill children and those born with serious heart defects.
The sell-out event was organised by volunteers, as part of the Give a Gift Initiative. The initiative was set up last year by a group of local individuals and organisations who recognised the need for the Muslim community to play a wider role within mainstream society.
The night saw over 300 people attend the Aagrah Midpoint Suite, Bradford, for a four-course meal and an evening of entertainment including a fashion show and an auction in aid of the two charities. Doctors and staff who work with children also attended to show their support while local women, including; the CEO’s of the two charities – Sharon Cheng and Angela Monoghan, took to the catwalk.
One of the organisers, Rifhat Malik said: “We chose these two charities for the Give a Gift Initiative because of the incredible work they undertake with seriously ill children which is something close to all of our hearts.
“Many people from the South Asian community do not realise the scale of the support they provide to people within our community and this is our way of giving something back.”
The fashion show was the last of six fundraising events over the year including a 5k charity run and a Zumbathon, all of which have helped exceed the £25,000 target set.
Rifhat added: “It’s been a brilliant effort by so many of the Give a Gift team who have been working tirelessly for weeks to bring this event together.
“We hope that the money raised will help them to continue to purchase revolutionary equipment, provide family support, and continue their great work with children affected by congenital heart disease and life threatening illness.”
Sharon Cheng, CEO of Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, said: “We have worked with the Give a Gift Initiative for two years running now. Months of hard work and planning had gone into the event to ensure it was a success, and it paid off. As a charity, we are reliant on fundraising to continue our work and we are so grateful to everyone involved for their incredible efforts.”
Sarah Tarpey, Regional Funding Manager at Martin House said: “All of us from Martin House were thrilled to be part of the second annual Give a Gift Ladies Glitz & Glamour event.
“The whole evening was a stunning fusion of fashion, cuisine and cultures, with the most exquisite clothing, dancing, singing and entertainment being presented by the Hamara hosts.
“One third of the children accessing Martin House Children’s Hospice are from the Asian community, and so the fantastic £14,000 raised at the event will directly benefit West Yorkshire’s Asian children and families.
“That amount will pay for our children’s medical supplies for almost a whole year, which is such a wonderful thing to have funded. Martin House are hugely grateful, and immensely proud to be supported by Give a Gift. Many, many thanks.”
