A charity dinner and auction evening organised by Emmaus Hertfordshire has proved a huge success raising £22,000, with former hostage Terry Waite CBE attending as a special guest.
The event, which took place on Saturday 7 December at Micklefield Hall, raised money to support the charity’s work in helping formerly homeless people to rebuild their lives.
Auction prizes, donated by businesses and supporters, included hotel stays in Prague, Barbados and the Cotswolds as well as experiences such as an FC Barcelona hospitality package, a tour and lunch with Mr Fabio Lamborghini, and Scottish salmon fishing for two.
As president of Emmaus UK, Terry Waite, attended the event to auction the ‘Tea with Terry’ experience on behalf of the charity. The experience was won by Associated British Foods Chief Executive, George Weston.
As well as a live and silent auction throughout the night, guests enjoyed canapes and prosecco on arrival, a raffle and games, and a three-course dinner before hearing about the realities of homelessness from residents of Emmaus.
Commenting on the event, Emmaus Hertfordshire Chief Executive, John Chesters, said:
“We are absolutely delighted with the success of our first fundraising auction. We were overwhelmed with the support, generosity and the enthusiasm of everyone who came, and all the individuals and organisations who supported us. Our team of residents and staff who made it all happen were fantastic and delivered an astonishing event.
“We have been in our Hill End site for almost 20 years, and we desperately need to upgrade and improve the facilities. We plan to expand our upcycling workshop, make our heating and lighting systems fit for purpose and install a kitchen that can cope with more than 40 residents. The money raised from this event will help us achieve this.”
Emmaus Hertfordshire supports formerly homeless people by giving them accommodation, meaningful work experience in a social enterprise, funded training and an opportunity to regain lost self-esteem to help rebuild their lives. Funds to run the charity are raised through their five shops in Boxmoor, Harpenden, Hertford, St Albans and Tring, as well as their house clearance service.
To find out more about Emmaus Hertfordshire, visit www.emmaus.org.uk/hertfordshire.