NSPCCs' The Great British Chefs event 2014

This December we again were very happy to be able to support the fantastic work of the NSPCC's Great British Chef's Dinner.

ChildLine is a free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the UK provided by the NSPCC.

They deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance misuse.

This year's event was a roaring success, and raised over £185,000 for a fantastic cause.  Our lots were kindly donated by Toby Smith, Paul Ridyard and Guy Stevens, and we also included a guided tour of our sculpture garden in Sevenoaks.

Working with charities such as ChildLine enables us to not only help to support those in need, but also to raise the profile of artists working in Britain. 

If you would like to know more about ChildLine then you can go to their site:

http://www.childline.org.uk

Following the event we were sent the following feedback from a child who benefited from the support

"When I returned to a school in Cornwall to run the follow-up workshops, a child came up to me in the workshop and said, 'Since I listened to you in the hall last week I have called ChildLine about stuff...I was a bit scared but the lady on the phone was really nice, she listened to me, just like it said in the film!...I've got the number written down safely, but I can remember the number using my fingers like you showed us'."

Wonderful to hear testimony directly from those benefiting from the NSPCC's work, and a cause we shall certainly be supporting in the months and years to come.