The Al Fayed Charitable Foundation and The New School at West Heath join forces for another year to raise funds for the school’s bursary fund.
(London, 31st May 2011) - - Camilla Al Fayed, Trustee of the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation, is proud to organise LAWNFEST for the third year running in conjunction with The New School at West Heath, Sevenoaks, Kent. All proceeds from this family fundraising event will be donated to the school’s bursary fund. The event will take place amid 32 acres of picturesque grounds on 12 June 2024 from 3pm to 10pm. It is guaranteed to be an evening filled with musical entertainment and artistic talent.
“This is one of the most exciting and fun events in the calendar, and it is for such a worthy cause,” says Camilla Al Fayed. “Each year, the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation looks forward to working with this utterly inspiring school which is dedicated to rebuilding young damaged lives through education.”
The school was acquired in 1998 through the generosity of Camilla’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, to help the UK’s troubled children. “The children who attend the school are between the ages of 11 and 19,” comments Camilla. “Tragically, they have suffered such emotional damage through abuse, bereavement, bullying or other similar trauma that they are unable to cope with mainstream schooling. After they leave the school, they are returned with great care to the education system to rebuild their lives.
“The school’s pupils are highly motivated,” adds Camilla. “They have all been keen to help with the organisation of the event, and this gives them an opportunity to do things to build their confidence and take part in an event that will be a memory they can treasure for years to come.”
The fundraising evening includes a rolling programme of events. Families can enjoy a diverse range of entertainment such as an affordable art exhibition, arts and crafts and a food court with a hog roast barbecue. A sensational children’s area with circus acts, bouncy castle, face painting and many other activities will occupy the little ones while the adults peruse the luxurious grounds, view the art exhibitions, sample the beer and visit the Pimm’s tent.
This will all be complemented by an outstanding musical line up which will include Will Heard, who is managed by the team behind Amy Winehouse. “These young musical talents are tipped to be upcoming international pop sensations, and in years to come you’ll be saying you saw them first at Lawnfest 2011,” says Camilla. Other acts include: Noah Francis, Shoestrung, The School Band, Kieran Gaffney from Britain’s Got Talent, The Pharaohs, Bill Dekker, The Blind Hearts, Tali featuring More Like Trees, and The Hitmen & Her.
Attending Lawnfest this year will be an array of celebrities from the world of television, including Sue Johnston OBE, Eastenders Lindsey Coulsen and Guy Portelli, now famous for his artwork from his Pop Icon collection, following his acceptance of a joint bid from Theo Paphitis, Peter Jones and James Caan on BBC1′s Dragons’ Den.
www.lawnfest.co.uk
BOX OFFICE: 0845-6526263
ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO WEST HEATH 2000, REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1069677
Notes to editors:
The Al Fayed Charitable Foundation (ACF) was founded in 1987 by Mohamed Al Fayed. Registered charity number: 297114. The charity has been supporting children’s charities for almost 25 years. Camilla Al Fayed, daughter of Mohamed Al Fayed, has been a Trustee of the foundation for almost 10 years, and is dedicated to continuing the exceptional work of the ACF whilst bringing fresh and new ideas on board. The Al Fayed Charitable Foundation supports a number of children’s hospices via regular donations and, in doing so, cares for numerous ailing children. The charity also supplies necessary specialist medical equipment for children’s hospitals. The aim of the ACF is to improve the lives of both impoverished and traumatised young people. www.alfayed.com/philanthropy