‘time4women Against Hunger’ reception at Coutts & Co

To coincide with United Nations World Women’s Day, Action Against Hunger launches its ‘Women Against Hunger’ appeal during a ‘time4women Against Hunger’ evening reception on 8 March 2006. Coutts & Co, Taittinger Champagne, guest Ulrika Johnson and a whole host of high flying women from a variety of industries are wholeheartedly supporting the event. Coutts Chief Executive Sarah Deaves will greet VIP guests at the Bank’s headquarters on the Strand.

A special ‘plats du jour’ table will also play a crucial fundraising part for the night. Top chefs and restaurants have not only donated dining vouchers but also taken time to decorate a plate each. Each silent bid lot will be on display along with encrypted descriptions of the prize and will also be accompanied by a bottle of Penfolds wine. Participating restaurants include The Fat Duck, Coq d’Argent, St John, Roast, Rhodes 24, The River Café, Cocoon, Locanda Ottoemezzo, Shanghai Blues, Zafferano and many more.

Coutts & Co invited all-women fundraising organisation time4women to collaborate with Action Against Hunger UK and work together to launch this Appeal. The funds raised from this reception will be channelled to a number of projects aimed at women, ranging from education on nutrition and food sustainability to helping women in their daily struggles to keep their families fed. A visual presentation and photographic exhibition of the charity’s work with and in support of women around the world will be displayed.

An auction and raffle will help raise much-needed funds for the charity’s work. Generous contributors to this evening include BMI, Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, Taittinger champagne, Penfolds, Body Experience, Shanghai Tang, Christian Delteil of Bank Restaurant Group, Charles Heidsieck champagne, Baerwood Lakes golf club, Royal Court Theatre, Almeida Theatre, womenswear designers Betty Jackson and Hanna Li, and world renowned ceramic designer Robert Dawson.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Women Against Hunger: Recognised worldwide as a leader in the fight against hunger, Action Against Hunger delivers programmes in over 40 countries, specialising in emergency situations of war, conflict, natural disasters and longer-term assistance to people in distress. Action Against Hunger's ultimate goal is to help vulnerable populations regain their self-sufficiency for long-term sustainability.

"Women Against Hunger " is an initiative led by Action Against Hunger UK. It works with women in the UK to raise awareness about the situation of women in some of the poorest countries in the world, and to identify, fund and implement appropriate projects which improve their quality of life and provide opportunities for empowerment. Funds raised at this event will be used by Action Against Hunger mainly to fund projects in a selection of countries where it works, which will provide direct benefits to women, such as income generation projects, agricultural production and training projects, nutrition and health education, formation or strengthening of women's groups and support of their strategy, and ensuring better and easier access for women to clean water and to sanitation facilities.

2. time4women is a charitable organisation set up by a group of women to raise funds and/or give their expertise to help support women who are in need and who are socially excluded, either financially or through their status, prejudice, or abuse. We are currently working on support initiatives for women with HIV/Aids, mental and physical abuse victims, women against hunger, women in recovery from substance abuse, and women in prison and ex-prisoners trying to rebuild their lives.

time4women is administered and hosted by the Charities Trust.

time4women are: Dr Jane Anderson (Homerton Hospital), Mrs Emma Edelson (Oxygen Ventures), Ms Tessa Laws (Rosenblatt Solicitors), Dr Tara Lindstedt (e-strategy Advisors), Mrs Lise Meyer (scriptwriter), Ms Lorraine O’Brien (CEO Charities Trust), Dr Rumi Peynovska, Professor Lesley Regan (Head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, St Mary’s; Deputy Head of Surgery & Oncology, Imperial College) and Ms Nasrin Sharifi (The Pathfinder Network).

3. Coutts & Co: Coutts is the international private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and manages assets for some 98,000 clients worldwide. Sarah Deaves is the Chief Executive of Coutts UK, managing all areas that fall under this banner, including representative offices in Dubai and Monaco, 6 offices within London, and 16 regional offices in key locations across the country. There has been a long and strong tradition of women’s involvement in philanthropy at Coutts, dating back to the early 19th century: Born in 1814, Angela Burdett, granddaughter and heiress of Thomas Coutts, introduced luncheon vouchers into the bank as she discovered that some clerks were not getting a “good midday meal”. In 1864 these luncheons became a regular item in the expenses account. Angela was also a great philanthropist and worked with Charles Dickens on numerous projects to assist the poor of London. Today, Coutts has female representation on its main board, a number of female executives as well as many female senior managers.

For more information on Action Against Hunger's work with women, please click here.

Please click here to read our Hunger Watch publication "Women and Hunger".