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HNW Fashion Gala Event with Anamika Khanna for world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme, AKSHAYA PATRA, hosted by Konnie Huq

HNW Fashion Gala Event with Anamika Khanna for world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme

The UK and India’s leading social glitterati, dignitaries, charity ambassadors and celebrities will gather on the 2nd of March 2013 at Vinopolis in London to celebrate The Sparkle Gala –  a start-studded night of haute couture fashion to raise vital funds for The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme, which feeds and educates some of India’s poorest, underprivileged childen. Today, The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides freshly prepared, nutritious meals daily to over 1.3 million underprivileged children in over 8000 schools in eight states from 19 kitchens.

 

The Sparkle Gala takes place at the beautifully restored Victorian Arches of the Great Room at Vinopolis and will host 400 guests, who are the leading lights of the High Net Worth (HNW) Indian community in London and India. The event will be hosted by popular TV personality Konnie Huq and will begin with a champagne reception followed by a gastronomic journey showcasing the best of Indian fusion cuisine. A highlight will be a spectacular fashion show presented by one of India's leading celebrity designers, Anamika Khanna, who will showcase her Luxury 2013 collection. The Kolkata based fashionista has the notable honour of being the first designer from India to launch an international label, and is one of the first Indian designers to show at Paris Fashion Week. Anamika Khanna uses traditional Indian and modern methods, including texturing with various embroideries to create her exquisite clothing collections. Her celebrity credits include L’Oreal ambassador Sonam Kapoor and former Miss World and Bollywood A-list actress Priyanka Chopra.

                   

 

Amongst an array of visual treats will be a charity auction, which will comprise of a range of bespoke items, from luxury holidays to fine wine, couture outfits and memorable experiences. The centre piece of the auction will be the 'Adopt a School' appeal, where for £2,500 donors can sponsor school lunches in a single school for an entire year.

 

The event will conclude with a special after-party in the Cellars of Vinopolis, where DJ Raj will keep the guests dancing until 1am.

 

In speaking about The Sparkle Gala event in aid of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, the UK Chair Dipika Khaitan says: “The UK chapter of The Akshaya Patra Foundation has so far raised funds to provide meals in approximately 250 schools. The funds raised by peoples’ enormous generosity has been so beneficial in helping us to continue our vital work to feed and educate some of India’s poorest and deprived children. The Akshaya Patra Foundation often provides a lifeline for children to eat well, which in turn aids their educational development, which then can help them to achieve their full potential.

 

We hope that on the evening of The Sparkle Gala we can raise funds to reach out to 300 schools and continue with our important community work.”

 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a leading charity pioneering a school lunch programme that addresses two of the most immediate challenges facing India: hunger/malnutrition and access to education. It is the first Indian NGO to have been selected for a case study by the Harvard Business School of USA. The organisation began in Bangalore with the ambit of feeding 1500 children in five schools. For many children it is their only complete meal of the day. This meal gives them an incentive to come to school, stay in school, and provides them with the necessary nutrients to develop cognitive abilities, enabling them to focus on learning. Ultimately, this aids in helping them to become self-sufficient and gainfully employed. The organisation has the impressive projection of feeding five million schoolchildren in India everyday by 2020. This essential work is partly funded by the Central Government of India, the respective state governments, corporates and benevolent individuals.

 

The Akshaya Patra Foundation has been awarded several accolades, including the Innovations in Services for the Urban Poor (World Bank, SIDA and Ministry of Urban Development); Leap Vault Change Leadership Award for Social Change Leadership; and the Lifebuoy National Child Health Award. The charity has an esteemed list of Trustees and Advisors in India, the UK and the USA, who advise and guide the charity’s operations on a daily basis. Some of its renowned supporters include: My Narayanmurthy, Deepak Chopra and Fareed Zakaria.

 

The Sparkle Gala is an unmissable event which will draw attention to the vitally important causes of hunger and accessible education in India, both of which are often overlooked. You can be a part of the drive to eliminate malnutrition and increase access to education, by attending The Sparkle Gala. The international communications agency Sterling Media is proud to be its official Event and PR partner.

 

Tables of 12 are priced at £6000.