Former hostage Terry Waite CBE shone as the guest auctioneer at a charity evening, featuring a performance by a choir of formerly homeless people.
The Christmas-themed fundraising evening organised by local homelessness charity Emmaus Village Carlton raised over £2,400.
As part of the charity’s commitment to supporting other local causes, all the money raised will be donated to BOLD, a Bedfordshire charity that provides life and work experience to adults with a learning disability and challenging behaviours.
The event, on Monday 2 December, was held in Emmaus Village Carlton’s Bistro at their site near Carlton.
Terry Waite, President of Emmaus UK, took on the role of guest-auctioneer for a grand charity auction. The auction lots, donated by local supporters, included restaurant meals, family days out and luxury luggage.
Terry Waite said, “I first visited Emmaus Village Carlton many years ago and it’s so good to be able to see it flourishing today. As President of Emmaus UK, it was an honour to be invited to try out my skills as an auctioneer for such a valuable cause.”
The evening also offered guests the chance to meet Mr Waite, win prizes in a Christmas raffle and enjoy a show by the Voices of Emmaus Community Choir performing festive favourites. Choir members include formerly homeless people now being supported by the charity.
Commenting on the event, Emmaus Village Carlton Chief Community Officer Angela Foll said, “The evening was a huge success. Mr Waite proved extremely popular with our guests, providing a humorous twist to the charity auction.
“There was a real festive buzz about the place and the feedback from guests has been very positive. Our thanks goes to the choir who gave a beautiful performance, to everyone who helped organise the evening and of course to all those who supported us on the night. We’re thrilled to have raised so much to support such a worthy local cause.”
Fundraiser Pauline Stepney from BOLD said, “The event surpassed my expectations. A thoroughly enjoyable evening resulting in raising much needed funds for BOLD. The response was overwhelming and meeting Terry Waite was an absolute bonus! I look forward to inviting the Voices of Emmaus Community Choir to our gospel singing workshop!”
Emmaus Village Carlton supports 42 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 are raised through their Home Store charity shop and bistro, with local people donating unwanted items for resale.
To find out more about Emmaus Village Carlton visit www.emmaus.org.uk/village-carlton; to discover more about BOLD visit www.bo4ld.com
