The British Asian Trust, one of The Prince’s Charities and the UK’s leading organisation for British Asian philanthropy, is delighted to announce the details of its 4th annual gala dinner, to be attended by its Founder and President HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, on Thursday 2nd February at Guildhall in London.
To date, the British Asian Trust has positively impacted the lives of over 3 million people in South Asia, and the gala dinner will mark the beginning of a special year that will focus on four key areas to transform the future of South Asia – Education, Anti-trafficking, Livelihoods and Mental Health/Disability.
The event will be a vehicle to highlight positive change and unlock the philanthropic potential of the night’s guests, which will include leading names in British and international business, enterprise and philanthropy, as well as celebrities from the world of film, TV, music and sports. Ambassador and trustee, British TV and radio presenter Nihal Arthanayake will host the special evening for 450 supporters, including Priti Patel MP, Secretary of State for International Development, and ambassadors. The night will also feature an exclusive musical performance. The evening is sponsored by Southall Travel, the Serum Institute, Hemraj Goyal Foundation and Royal Wedding Services.
Richard Hawkes, CEO, British Asian Trust said: “We are looking forward to another fantastic annual gala dinner for our friends and supporters. The evening will give us an opportunity to discuss and share our plans for 2017 as well as reflect on our achievements from last year. The New Year will give us new focus and we are looking across the key sectors of education, anti-trafficking, livelihoods and mental health / disabilities in our overall campaign to transform the Future of South Asia.”
International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: “This is an important opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the vital role diaspora communities play in reducing global poverty.
“My own Department recently supported the British Asian Trust’s ‘Give a Girl a Future’ appeal by match funding public donations to help 50,000 women and girls in Pakistan master the technical skills and business know-how they need to secure steady jobs. Together, we can continue to lift thousands of people out of poverty.”
The British Asian Trust supports the development of a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people, and that is free from inequality and injustice. The coming year will see a focus on education to enable children to achieve better learning outcomes; anti-trafficking, protecting the welfare of children and young people; women’s economic empowerment; rural livelihoods, connecting farmers to markets to earn a sustainable living and mental health/disability, providing inclusive care and support for better mental and physical health.
Last year’s star-studded event raised a staggering £900,000 for development in South Asia and saw celebrities including music moguls Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, pop star Leona Lewis, model Neelam Gill and British Asian Trust ambassadors Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Naughty Boy and Gurinder Chadha attend to support the Trust.
For more information, please go to www.britishasiantrust.org
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