UK Gala 2011

Press Release

Alice Temperley, Sophie Ellis-Bextor join star-studded Gala to raise an incredible £828,8700 to support traumatised women in areas of conflict

With Annie Lennox being given a Making a Difference Award, Sophie Ellis-Bextor performing and Pamela Stephenson MCing, Women for Women’s Gala was bound to be a success. Women for Women International is delighted that £828,8700 was raised, which will help thousands more women in countries from Afghanistan to the Congo to receive support and develop their skills, so they can rebuild their lives and support themselves and their families.

Nearly 400 of the charities most ardent and valued supporters from the business and financial world, together with those from the Arts and celebrity guests, gathered to celebrate five years of Women for Women in the UK and raise badly needed funds for the charity.

This included fashion designer Alice Temperley from Temperley London, TV Presenter Tess Daly, Model, Jacquetta Wheeler, supermodel Natalia Vodianova, musician and designer Pamela Hogg, singer and human rights activist Annie Lennox, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, psychologist and TV personality Dr Pamela Stephenson-Connolly, Film Director, Hugh Hudson, Architect, Zaha Hadid, Jewellery Designer, Pippa Small, Joan and Simon Burstein, Browns, Actress Rosamund Pike, Sophie Turner-Laing, MD Entertainment and News, Sky, Barbara Brocolli, maker of Bond films, actress Cherie Lunghi, TV presenter and singer Claire Richards, Swarovski Creative Director, Nadja Swarovski, artist Jenny Saville and Women for Women’s founder; award-winning human-rights activist Zainab Salbi.

The Gala opened with a cocktail reception (sponsored by Iceberg Vodka), followed by a sit-down dinner catered by Rhubarb, live and silent auctions, The Making a Difference Awards Ceremony and a performance by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Click here to view the complete Gala Programme.

It also featured a talk about Karak Mayik, Women for Women International Country Director, Sudan and a film about the charities work in the Congo narrated by Cherie Lunghi. Watch the video.

Corporate Gala Partners were Bank of Singapore, Bloomberg, Brown’s, Goldman Sachs Gives, Iceberg Vodka, Kate Spade, Neal’s Yard, Paul Hastings, Signature Lifestyles, Sotheby’s UK, Swarovski & the Body Shop.

Annie Lennox, Brown’s, Harper’s Bazaar and Todd Fisher were recognised with the Making a Difference Awards

Commenting on the Awards, Zainab Salbi, Founder, Women for Women International said “It was always my dream to build Women for Women International in the UK, and the support of Annie Lennox, Joan Burstein, Lucy Yeomans, Todd Fisher and many other inspirational people has made this possible. This evening’s gala with Harper’s Bazaar is the most wonderful way to celebrate and honour the work that is being done by our committed supporters in the UK to help change the lives of the world’s most vulnerable women in war-torn countries.”

Annie Lennox

Commenting on receiving her Award, Annie Lennox said “Women for Women is an incredible organisation, working to transform lives, to support, uplift, and put light in the darkness. To be acknowledged by them is an absolute honour for me, and I'm humbled to be given this award, when so many of their members are my inspiration”.

Lucy Yeomans, Editor on behalf of Harper’s Bazaar

Our partnership with Bazaar has helped us significantly to raise awareness of Women for Women International amongst its influential franchisees. In 2009, Bazaar launched (in association with Browns) the highly successful T Shirt campaign, now in its 2nd year, with fashion designers from Italy including Donatella Versace and Angela Missoni. This has resulted not only in worldwide coverage of Women for Women International, but has also raised significant funds”.

Browns

It’s a deep honour to have the friendship of Mrs. B, and we embrace this knowing what a difference this means to women in war-torn countries who are trying to follow the example of Joan who has built such a successful and influential fashion business.” Says Kate Nustedt, Executive Director, Women for Women International

Todd Fisher, KKR, Partner and Chief Administrative Officer

Todd Fisher is the global Chief Administrative Officer of KKR. He currently sits on KKR’s Global Investment Committee and chairs its Management Committee.

We honour him tonight not only for his many contributions to Women for Women, but also because he stands as an inspiration to all of us and particularly to menthe understands that the work of Women for Women is not just about women, but about whole communities coming together to improve the lives of every woman, child and man. He gets it”.