We are delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for our third Gathimba Edwards Foundation (GEF) dinner in support of disadvantaged children in Kenya. The event, which is headline sponsored by Phil Anderson Financial Services, will take place on Saturday 16th February 2019 at Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen. It will be an evening of inspiring international speakers, awards, authentic Kenyan cuisine, unique prizes and much more.
Guest speakers
Brother Colm O’Connell
He arrived in Kenya from Ireland as a missionary in 1976. Brother Colm taught geography at St Patricks Boys Secondary in Iten. Early on, he was asked to help out on the running track, and discovered a passion that has lasted to this day. What happened next is now the stuff of legend! Under Colm’s guidance, more than 20 Olympic and World Championship medal winners would emerge from this tiny school, including David Rudisha.
Felista Gathigia
She is one of the most inspiring people we have met in Kenya. ‘Mama Faith’ as she is better known, was born without hands or feet but this does not stop her doing the things she wants to in life. She sets an incredible example and works tirelessly to provide for her daughter Faith, who was also born with the same condition. We regularly see Mama Faith chopping firewood, carrying huge containers of water, cooking, writing and even expanding the house which we were able to build for her and her family in 2017. Mama Faith’s inspiring example has given her daughter a determined and can-do attitude that we are sure makes her destined for great things. Faith attends Karura Primary School, is position 1 out 52 in her class, plays football, runs around everywhere, helps her mum at home and much more.
Dave Moorcroft OBE
The former 5,000m world record holder and Chief Executive of UK athletics will be in attendance again, this time as compere of the evening’s proceedings.
Gideon Gathimba
Co-founder of GEF and former 4 x 1,500m relay world record holder, Gideon will give an insight into some of the challenges families in Kenya are facing and how your support is changing lives.
David Sagida
He is the GEF Operations Manager in Iten, Kenya. David will speak about the impact your support has had on the children’s lives, as well as his own.
At the dinner
There will be a welcome drink on arrival at 6pm followed by a delicious 3 course meal. As well as hearing from our guest speakers, there will be various opportunities to win prizes via raffles and auctions. The Neil Jaffrey Award will be presented to a local child in need. Check out this video of our 2017 event which was kindly produced by Stuart Hill.
Tickets
Tickets are £85 and tables of 12 are £950. There are Headline, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship packages available – for more information please click here. We would be extremely grateful if you could donate prizes to the event.
We ask that payment is made in full to secure tickets or tables. Payments can be made via bank transfer to:
Bank of Scotland
Gathimba Edwards Foundation
Sort code: 802260
Account number: 12495163
Please confirm your payment along with guests names, email addresses and dietary requirements via email to myles@gathimbaedwardsfoundation.org
Please note that tickets are non refundable.
With your support, we can help more kids. We currently have more than 50 children on our waiting list who desperately require support. We also have ambitions to build a home for children with disabilities and a sports academy over the next 4 years.
Thank you so much for your life-changing support which has made all of this possible. We hope to see you at Ardoe House on 16th February 2019.
GEF Dinner 2017
Thank you to everyone who helped us raise an incredible £49,103 at our second Gathimba Edwards Foundation dinner on Saturday 18th February 2017 at Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen.
Guests were inspired by our first speaker of the evening Wilson Kipsang. The former world marathon record holder, Olympic medallist, New York, London and Berlin marathon champion, who attended the dinner on route to the Tokyo Marathon, spoke about his humble beginnings and how his running success has changed his life and the lives of those in the community around him. Next up was inspirational 18 year old Enock Kirop who has benefited from the Foundation’s support and also runs our bracelet operations in Kenya. Enock told guests of how their support had transformed his life and given him the chance to realise his dreams. It was Enock’s first time on aeroplane to attend the event. Former world 5,000m record holder Dave Moorcroft was in attendance again, this time excellently compering the evening’s proceedings. With Wilson Kipsang, Gideon Gathimba and Dave Moorcroft in attendance, there was three former world record holders present as well as GEF’s Peter Githingi who has helped over 1,000 children through his work with street children, Scouts and the Chaka Youth Football Project in Kenya.
The Neil Jaffrey Local Child in Need Award was also presented to Mintlaw based youngster Tyler White. The inspirational two and a half year old, who suffers from spina bifida, received a specialised bath seat and up seat/walker. The award was kindly sponsored by the Westhill and District Roundtable group. In addition to this an anonymous £6,000 donation was made by a local company to allow Tyler’s family to install a stair lift into their home.
The money raised from the evening went towards our the significantly increased school and uniform fees of our children as they progressed from primary to secondary school. These can jump from as little as £40 per year up to £1,000, which is why so many children don’t enter secondary education. We have also been able to provide regular counselling services as well as sustainable food solutions for families.
Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets, tables and donated prizes. To all of our GEF dinner sponsors who have given so generously – bronze sponsors KR Steel, Rose Recruitment and CV Aberdeen, Silver sponsors Red Balloon PA and Aberdeen Sports Therapy and Gold sponsors BackStrong Trust, SureVoIP and Bonnie Wee Golf. To all of our partners and volunteers, who have given their time and services on the night and throughout the year, thank you.
Guests enjoyed a welcome drink on arrival followed by a delicious and authentic three course meal, raffle and auction full of unique prizes and live music from Scottish band Mustang.
GEF dinner 2015
Your incredible support in 2015 raised £42,000 for our kids and projects in Kenya.
This has not only enabled us to increase the number of children we support from 167 to 230 but has also allowed us to improve the support we offer to them all. Every child is now sleeping on a newly-built bed with comfortable mattress, blankets and bedding – many of these children were sleeping on mud floors not so long ago. 230 children are now in full time education, 12 of them have completed secondary school and are now in either college or university. We have connected over 1,000 children through our school twinning programme.
Your support has enabled us to invest in businesses and farming for several families to help them become more self sufficient. It has also allowed us to run a series of seminars advising families on a wide range of topics from managing finances, investment, self esteem, gender equality and sexual health. We also have our own holiday projects nurturing talents in education, football and athletics. Since we began in May 2014, we have been able to build new homes for 41 children and by October 2016 that number will have increased to 66 thanks to our volunteer builders. For more information on the trip please click here – www.gathimbaedwardsfoundation.org/volunteer-building-trip.
Matthew James Dyer, who received the Neil Jaffrey Award in 2015, is doing well and enjoying his therapy at the Craighalbert Centre thanks to your support. He is also starting to train on an Eye Gaze computer system which in time will enable him to communicate with his loved ones for the first time.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making all of this possible.
Myles Edwards and Gideon Gathimba.
