‘Year of the Ram’ celebration raises over £1,000 for charities

East Meets West: The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Cllr Erica Kemp CBE and Cllr Richard Kemp, pictured with representatives of Housing People, Building Communities, Business in the Community and the Chung Ku restaurant.

A TOXTETH housing charity and this year’s Lord Mayor Charity Appeal will benefit from a Chinese New Year charity dinner held last night (Feb 23) at the Chung Ku restaurant at Columbus Quay, Liverpool.

The waterfront restaurant was the perfect setting for the ‘East meets West’ event, enjoyed by almost a hundred people. It featured a three-course Chinese meal, fire cracker display, traditional Chinese dancing, plus a tombola and raffle, with over £1,000 raised on the night.

Norman Shum of the Chung Ku restaurant said: “It was wonderful to bring east and west together to celebrate the Chinese New Year. As well as being great fun, it was the perfect opportunity to support some amazing charities locally.”

Proceeds will be split between the Lord Mayor Charity Appeal – this year helping Teenage Cancer Trust, the Merseyside branch of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA), Alzheimer’s Society andThe Reader Organisation – and the charity Housing People, Building Communities.

Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Erica Kemp CBE, who attended with her husband Cllr Richard Kemp, said: “This is a fantastic way to raise money and awareness for some very worthy charities while celebrating Chinese New Year. Liverpool has long had historic links with China and holding a fabulous fundraiser at the waterfront gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate and strengthen those links.” 

Housing People, Building Communities (HPBC), the award winning organisation building 32 low-cost homes off Kingsley Road, will also benefit.                                                                    

HPBC Chair, Rev’d Canon Shannon Ledbetter, commented: “We’re extremely grateful to the Chung Ku restaurant for holding this event and making us one of the main beneficiaries. It was an excellent opportunity for people from in and around the city to enjoy a fantastic evening welcoming in the Year of the Ram. whilst helping so many good causes at the same time.”