The Local Angels committee held their sell-out luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf, on the 23rd November, raising £10,000 for Redbridge and Essex-based Jewish Care services.

The event attracted 150 ladies who enjoyed a reception followed by a gourmet lunch and raffle with musical entertainment provided by Brett Warren and Ross Wall. The event was sponsored by Citroen Wolf Publishing and Andrew Green .

Michelle Lucas, Treasurer of the Local Angels committee welcomed guests with an original speech written in rhyming couplets:

“I am delighted to see so many of you here

Championing our efforts with gusto and cheer

You are all Local Angels and we thank you for your support…”

Gayle Klein, Local Angels committee chair, reminded guests that the Local Angels have raised close to £50,000 since the committee was established in 2008. She added: “Jewish Care urgently needs to replace its fleet of Care Buses which provide the transport and lifeline for so many elderly in our community who use the RJCC, the Dennis Centre and Mitkadem facilities. The Local Angels have decided to ring fence the monies raised this year to assist Jewish Care in this huge, unavoidable cost.”

Gayle introduced the guest speaker, Jeni Barnett who regaled guests with a series of witty and very amusing stories relating to her lengthy career in radio and television broadcasting. She went on to thank Jewish Care for its support for her mother who has recently become a resident at their Hyman Fine home in Brighton. “I don’t know what I would have done without Jewish Care. It was there for me, they listened and they helped me find the right way to support my mum.”

On Wednesday 8th December 2010 170 Ladies attended The Four Seasons Hotel, Canary Wharf, for The Local Angel, Jazz in the City Lunch. Guests enjoyed a delicious meal and were entertained with a compilation of favourite songs by the very talented Brett Warren and Ross Wall.

The event, which has now become a yearly occasion, was a complete sellout and raised in excess of £21,000 for Jewish Care services in Redbridge.

Gayle Klein and all The Local Angels would like to thank all the guests and event sponsors, especially Alan Selby who was this years main event sponsor.

Gayle said "The amount of money raised is staggering and we are proud that 100% of the money we raise goes directly into the charity to help where it's needed."

On July 1st, members of Jewish Care’s Mitkadem Centre for Wellbeing in Redbridge gathered to celebrate the official opening of their allotment. Showing up were friends, family, Local Angels, the fundraising committee, and staff, including Jewish Care’s director of care and community services, Neil Taylor.

In just over twelve months, working two days a week, the Mitkadem gardening team has transformed the space into a well-ordered, highly productive allotment.

The space boasts an apple tree and raspberry  bushes, as well as a host of vegetables and herbs, including butternut squashes, cabbages, corriander and tarragon. There is even a nice seating area.

Michael, Mark and Norman, all Mitkadem members who enjoy getting their hands dirty, said: “It’s a peaceful and inspiring place, where we can learn new skills and work together as a community."

Such is the success of the Mitkadem allotment that members are able to harvest sufficient produce to prepare a home-cooked vegetarian meal once a week in the centre as part of their healthy living programme. Members plan to be able to eventually offer seasonal vegetable boxes, including their own range of jams and chutneys, and supply them to the local market.

Neil Taylor said: “I know it’s been a dream for many of you to see the allotment blossom - and it’s been my dream as well. I’m very proud of the way you have grasped this opportunity, as well as the way Jewish Care inspires and enables people to take more responsibility and contribute to their local community.’’

**URGENT NEWSFLASH**
We the committee have a small problem! A strip of raffle tickets was drawn out of the hat on Thursday morning and they were blank, no name, no phone no., nisht! Could the person with the winning ticket get in touch with us. The strip was numbered 16 through 20 on a white coloured ticket.

Click the image to see larger poster.

Well-known television 'psychics' Colin Fry, Derek Acorah and TJ Higgs, The Three Mediums, offered an evening of “ clairvoyance and communication with the departed”.  The general consensus was one of scepticism from the LA contingent, however no ‘Morry Cohens’ came forth during the evening to declare that Local Angels had made £500 from the sale of tickets, which was the only true success of the evening.  The raffle prizes were won by Colin Fry, Derek Acorah and TJ Higgs, who had ‘inside information’.