Over 140 ISF supporters raised over £30,000 last month at a gala dinner held at the imposing surroundings of Inner Temple, one of the four Inns of Court in Central London. Praising the extraordinary work of the organisers, ISF Chairman Peter Slater said “From start to finish it was a perfect ISF evening, fully reflecting our philosophy of making as big a difference to as many children as possible whilst having fun with friends. From me to all the organisers and supporters, thank you so much.”.
Here’s a report on what was obviously a very enjoyable evening from one of our supporters, Simon Powell:
“It was a fine, late summer evening as guests arrived at the imposing surroundings of Inner Temple, one of the four Inns of Court in Central London. They came on foot, by cab (and at least one, by bike), enjoying the rare chance to give an airing to their Black Ties and their finest dresses. As we climbed the ornate wooden staircase, watched over by portraits of venerable lawyers and judges from the past, the melodies of Mozart played by a String Quartet signposted our way to the Reception area, which resounded with the buzz of conversation and laughter that tells of a party in full swing.
As the ‘fizz’ flowed, Peter interrupted proceedings briefly to welcome guests and remind us of the aim of the evening (‘to help others while having fun’), while in the background your eyes were draw to ’streaming’ pictures of the children in Phnom Penh, that Kate had prepared. Peter thanked those who had done so much work behind the scenes to bring the event to fruition: especially Kate, Sean, Victoria and, above all, Mel – who looked as cool, calm and collected on the evening as she had been through all the long preparation. And then a shift in musical tone, as Peter introduced the gentlemen of the London Gay Choir, who set everyone’s feet tapping with their lively and witty rendering of a medley of popular songs – to which most guests hummed along under their breath (and some of us a bit louder than that).
Warmed by the harmonies – and the fizz – we moved into the Great Hall, still chatting away but not yet ready to take our seats as we caught sight of friends and colleagues not seen for a long time, and moved to share potted histories of time spent in the intervening months and years. Hardly had seats finally been taken and introductions made, when each table was visited by its own delightful ‘table jockey’: daughters of guests and friends of friends, coordinated by Victoria and ‘coached’ by Sean in how to use their charm, wit and energy to encourage us diners to spend just that little bit extra on those raffle tickets – I’m sure my table was not the only one on which we found it impossible to resist. But there was no time to get comfortable, as we were dragged to our feet to play the ‘Heads-and-Tails’ game, which involved an increasing level of contortionism as the numbers were whittled down to just 3, before one brave soul – alone – opted for ‘heads’, and was duly feted as a worthy winner.
At some point, excellent and beautifully prepared food was served, but we were all chatting and laughing too much to really pay it its due. As the meal drew to a close, the Master of Ceremonies brought us to attention and introduced Kate to say a few words about the work in Cambodia. It was the only time through the whole evening when quiet prevailed, as Kate held the audience with her stories of the children, and of the remarkable work being done in the schools in Phnom Penh. Once she had sat down, on my table at least, we fell to reflecting together on what Kate had shared with us so poignantly.
The MC drew the raffle, causing a flurry of excitement among the lucky winners – of spa breaks, Tea at The Ritz, fine holidays, and even finer wines (all provided by generous sponsors). Those who hadn’t been lucky with their raffle tickets had no cause yet to feel that they were going home empty-handed – there was the Auction still to come. The MC pointed us to the excellent brochure that had been prepared, which set out an even more exotic and eclectic collection of prizes, from Caribbean holidays to Olympic tickets. The bidding was very lively – friend against friend, table against table, brother against brother (on my table, anyway). Whoops of ‘Got it!’ broke through above the continuing din of conversation.
Sated, the guests had one last chance to mingle and chat with friends on neighboring tables. It was a wonderful evening, beautifully and seamlessly orchestrated – and over much, much too soon. Helping others while having fun. Or was it the other way round?”