On 15th March £21,590 was raised for The Clink and London Irish Centre at a pre St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser hosted by Green & Fortune. The event, which took place at Rotunda Bar and Restaurant welcomed 140 attendees from the hospitality industry. The day was filled with great Irish spirit and hospitality. Guest were greeted to the sounds of a traditional Irish harp, shamrock was placed on everybody’s lapel and Black Velvets and Irish canapés were served.
Rotunda chose to support two charities with whom they have strong links, with the funds being divided evenly. Founded in 2010, The Clink works in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation service to provide training programmes in prisons across the UK, giving inmates the skills needed to secure work in the hospitality industry after release. Having grown over the last nine years, The Clink now operates four restaurants, three kitchens, two gardens and an event catering business, all of which are based in UK prisons and staffed by inmates.
The event also raised funds for the London Irish Centre, based near Rotunda in Kings Place. The charity works to create a hub of culture and support for London’s Irish community, with an outreach programme to provide care for those in need. The centre also promotes Irish heritage with a programme of regular events and workshops.
Guests enjoyed a four-course lunch inspired by traditional Irish fare, including Frank Hederman’s smoked salmon, fried oyster, capers, homemade Irish soda bread, followed by Guinness slow-braised beef shin, from Green & Fortune’s own Corneyside Farm, served with colcannon and greens. The paired wines were generously supplied by sponsor and hospitality recruitment company Troika, who also provided the guests’ welcome drinks. Live music was provided throughout the day from Cerian and The Phoenix Collective.
After lunch guests sang along to some traditional Irish songs, before a fundraising auction took place, with items including a trip for two to Amsterdam on Eurostar with a weekend stay at Art’otel; an Ed Sheeran album cover with personalised video message; a pair of Manchester United tickets, with executive seats at Old Trafford and a behind-the-scenes experience for two at Saturday Kitchen. Other funds were raised through a raffle, ticket sales and sabrage on the terrace.
John Nugent, Chief Executive of Green & Fortune, commented “The day was an incredible success. We originally set out to host a small gathering but with great interest and support it turned into a far larger event. Already we’ve had many enquiries about next year’s event. This could be the start of a new tradition! Delivering almost £22,000 to the charities shows the generosity of the hospitality sector, which makes us all very proud.”
Following Friday’s event, Christopher Moore, Chief Executive of The Clink Restaurant, said “A huge thank you to the Green & Fortune team who have raised over £10,000 to go towards the work of the charity and reducing reoffending. The St Patrick’s Day lunch celebration was a huge success, and cooked and served by the Rotunda team, supported by Clink graduates. It was wonderful to see so many generous supporters. The Green & Fortune team have been working with us for the past 10 years and employed the first ever Clink graduate in 2009, with the support of Troika. Today’s generous donation will enable us to continue to change attitudes, transform lives and create second chances.”
Gary Dunne, The London Irish Centre, Director of Culture comments “We are delighted that the event raised such an amount of money. A huge thank you from all of us at the London Irish Centre. It was a fantastic pre St. Patrick’s Day celebration and the funds will help to support the work of the London Irish Centre in providing outstanding Irish care, culture and community in London.”