Date: 22 November 2005
Record Audience Support Norwood Every Step of the Way at Annual Dinner
£1.4m raised for Anglo-Jewry’s leading children and family services charity.
Norwood chose its flagship fundraising event, the Annual Dinner, to unveil a stunning new appeal video last night (Monday 21 November) in front of a nearly 1000 guests.
The audience at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane were taken aback by the ground-breaking pop video ‘Every Step We Take’, a re-working of Sting and The Police’s hit song ‘Every Breath You Take’ that was recorded by an ecclectic mix of staff, trustees and service users from the charity. The video, which provided the theme for the entire dinner, was the focal point of the evening, together with the presentaion of the President’s Awards to members of staff and volunteers who had provided exemplary service to the charity over the years.
The appeal film explored the devastating effects of autism on people’s lives and highlighted Norwood’s expertise in providing specialist services to support those affected by it; ranging from The Annie Lawson School, which specialises in working with pupils with complex and profound learning disabilities, to support groups for parents.
The pop video, which was integrated into the appeal film, was shot at a film studio in Camden. The creative force behind the pop video concept was Norwood supporter and veteran bike rider, Malcolm Green of advertising agency DLKW, who, working with the film producer Laura Granditer, saw the service users as central to the project and wanted to offer them the experience and unique thrill of a professional pop song recording. Mr. Green kindly donated all of his time and that of his technical team voluntarily, and waived all production costs.
The thought process was to try and bring the appeal video to life, engage the audience and inspire them to give a little more.
Featuring people with different connections to Norwood, the video highlights the many faces of the charity. Some of the stars of the video include service users Oliver Rosenblum (aged 8), Talya Jacobson (aged 11) and Ruth Zoladz (aged 30). It also features Norwood Chief Executive Norma Brier, Judith Katzler, Director of Business Development, and members of the local community, as well as Alfred Garfield, a member of the Board of Trustees. The video has a feeling of community spirit and support, as exemplified by the many singers’ faces fading in and out during the song. The film had the desired effect, as the audience helped to raise £1.4m.
Joining Sir Trevor Chinn CVO, President of the charity, on the night were a host of the Jewish community’s most influential members, including Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy, and The Israeli Ambassador Zvi Heifetz. One of Sir Trevor’s most enjoyable moments of the night was presenting the President’s Awards to four deserving recipients. The winners were Jo Shone and Nigel Trumper, both employees of Norwood who have spent more than a decade working with the charity, and Gill Caplin and Esther Samuels, both volunteers who have dedicated years of their lives to helping those in need.
Speaking as he presented the awards, Sir Trevor said: “In many ways, these awards reflect how Norwood feels about our incredible team of staff and volunteers – they are our lifeblood. It is their dedication and commitment to going that extra mile that helps the organisation to continue to provide the excellent services that have become our trademark. Tonight’s recipients are truly deserving of our respect and on behalf of our service users we offer them our sincere thanks.”
In her opening remarks to her guests, Carol Sopher, Chair of Norwood’s Annual Dinner Committee referenced the increasingly competitive nature of the Anglo-Jewish fundraising environment. She said: “I am all too aware of the demands placed on us by so many deserving causes in our community, which is why I am all the more delighted that you have chosen to attend tonight’s dinner in record numbers. This evening is the catalyst for what we all hope will be another successful year of fundraising. Norwood must raise in excess of £8m each year simply to sustain the vast array of services it provides to those in our community who depend on them.”
The evening ended with entertainment by Heather Small, the acclaimed artist who has recently completed a UK tour with her band M People, and who’s song ‘Proud’ was used to front the London team’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics.
For further information please contact Ronit Shebson Public Relations Manager at Norwood on 020 8420 6900 or email: ronit.shebson@norwood.org.uk
