FUNDRAISING DINNER RAISES £1400 FOR FAMILIES IN PAKISTAN

Added: (Thu Jan 12 2006)

Pressbox (Press Release) - For immediate release 11 January 2006

For more information

Contact Carina Wilson

01342 324 571 or 07749 939 578



A fundraising dinner hosted by Azad restaurant on Monday 9th January, raised £1400 for homeless families in Pakistan, victims of the October 2005 earthquake.



The dinner was organised by members of the East Grinstead Chamber of Commerce and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, and supported by many local businesses and individual members of the community.



The 50 attendees at the dinner – the restaurant was packed to capacity - included two former East Grinstead mayors, Cllr Christine Mainstone and Cllr Alan Lord; and Chairman of the East Grinstead Chamber of Commerce, Dale Bulbrook.



In addition to the money raised from ticket sales, a raffle was held with a wide variety of prizes, provided by: Homebase (a power drill and a remote control car); Jingles (a double album voice book by a famous race commentator); G & G (a £25.00 Vitamin Voucher); Phase 2 (a Hairdo voucher); Success Salon in town (a Hairdo Voucher); Ashdown Flowers (a plant); Azad restaurant (“Take Away “ voucher); individual members of the Church of Scientology (various); Lighthouse Bookshop (Narnia Book); Surprises (Garden Statue); and Nero Caffe (10 Coffee Vouchers).



One of the speakers at the dinner was Dr Nadeem Iqbal, originally from Pakistan and now working with the East Grinstead-based College for Naturopathic Medicine. Nadeem has been to Pakistan several times since the earthquake, and has visited the mountainous areas where in some villages there were no survivors at all, and where in others the survivors are still urgently in need of tents, blankets and food. The money raised by the dinner will be enough to purchase around 350 blankets, and Nadeem stressed that much more is needed.



Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Dale Bulbrook added to this, suggesting that the East Grinstead community “adopt a village” in Pakistan, and carry out other fundraising activities to give help to these families. Already around 15 shops and businesses in East Grinstead have boxes for donations for Pakistan, and this is something that can be built on.



Another speaker was Fareeda Bulbrook, also originally from Pakistan but for many years living in East Grinstead. Fareeda went to Pakistan soon after the earthquake struck, and stayed until recently, coordinating the work of the International Dianetics Assist Team. Her team were able to help over 6,000 people so far, and trained another 2,500 on “assists”, methods developed by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard to help people recover from illness, injury and shock. She told of heart-warming stories of people who had been helped and who had their hopes and will to live restored, after being devastated by the loss of their loved ones. Fareeda will be returning to Pakistan soon, as there is much more work to be done, and she called for volunteers who would like to join her there. She is working with the Pakistan government and the Jumma and Kashmir government, representatives of which have asked for hundreds of people to be trained on the assist techniques and other disaster relief skills.



Key organisers of the dinner Gaby Gadiot and Pat Kneller were presented with flowers and thanked for all their work, and Mr Azad was given special mention for hosting the dinner, which was very nicely done and was delicious!



For more information about the International Dianetics Assist Team, call Fareeda Bulbrook at 01342 315 685.



More information about the Scientology Volunteer Minister programme can be found at www.volunteerministers.org.



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