Glittering support by City Women for Platform 51

Platform 51 supports girls and women as they take control of their lives.

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Categories: fundraising
Friday, 4 November 2011
Glittering support by City Women for Platform 51

City Women's Network annual gala dinner

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Platform 51 attended a glittering black-tie event in the prestigious Claridge's Hotel in central London last night as part of the City Women's Network [CWN] annual gala dinner chaired by outgoing CWN President, India Gary-Martin.

As CWN's charity of the year, Platform 51 was proud to be invited to take part in the event with both Platform 51 CEO Penny Newman and Louise, a young women and volunteer supported by Platform 51 in Doncaster, both giving speeches. [See pic of India, Penny and Louise at the event]. In her speech, Penny rallied the crowd and called for society to hear and listen more to the voices of women while Louise shared her poignant story and received a standing ovation from the all-female audience. [To see Penny and Louise talking more about Platform 51's work, check out our latest video 'A Place to Come to' on our YouTube channel].

Following the speeches, a silent auction and raffle in aid of Platform 51 was held with Miriam Staley, former finalist on The Apprentice UK leading the auctioneering proceedings. Auction items included a pair of glamorous Jimmy Choo shoes donated by Davina McCall, Royal Opera Tickets and a Jaeger handbag. A final surprise auction item was a special meal for eight cooked at your home by renowned chef and former Gordon Ramsay protégé, Angela Hartnett, which went for the grand total of £5,250.

The evening saw a fantastic, £10,000+ being raised for Platform 51. Commenting on the event, Platform 51 CEO Penny Newman said: "We are delighted to be CWN's Charity of the Year and to have received such wonderful support this evening from CWN as well as chance to share our message and the power of our work. Many thanks to India Gary-Martin for making it possible for us".

Check out more pictures from the event on Platform 51's Flickr and Facebook pages. Don't forget to check out our latest video with both Penny and Louise on our Platform 51 YouTube channel.