Celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr and Judy Murray are teaming up to host a charity dinner at a ‘fairytale’ Scottish castle in late 2024, with proceeds going to Children 1st charity.
The aim of the dinner is to raise £100,000 for the national charity, with 100% of funds raised supporting children living in poverty and young people who have experienced trauma.
Celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr will be there in person to oversee the dinner, and Judy Murray is Patron of the dinner.
Tickets are now on sale for the event, to be hosted in the ballroom of Crossbasket Castle, near Glasgow, on Saturday 23 November.
Every single penny raised at the event will go towards the charity’s efforts to help young people in desperate need of help, after the venue, dining and entertainment partners generously offered their services for free.
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children 1st, said: “Our teams at Children 1st support thousands of children who are distressed and at risk of harm across Scotland.
"Far too many children have childhoods that are full of fear and worry and we must protect them. Childhood should be happy and carefree but that is not the case for far too many of our babies, children and young people.
"I am so grateful to everyone involved in the fundraising dinner and completely humbled by the generosity and willingness to help. It is only with support and donations that we can continue our work to protect and transform the lives of children in Scotland.”
Ambassador for the dinner, Judy Murray added: “As a mum and granny, knowing that so many of Scotland’s children are living in crisis is heartbreaking.
"I’m joined forces with the team behind this event and Children 1st to raise awareness of the desperate situation too many of our young people find themselves in, but also to help make this dinner is as big a success as possible so we can transform the lives most in need of our support.”
One in four of Scotland’s children live in poverty, and it is estimated that one in three young people experience at least one traumatic event before the age of 18.
Children 1st’s ambition is to ensure every child in Scotland is safe, loved and well by providing recovery support to children and young people who have experienced harm, while working to change the systems that work around them so that they stop damaging children further.
The fundraising dinner will be one of the first major events to take place at Crossbasket following a £15m investment to add an additional 40-bedroom hotel, two five-bedroom eco-friendly lodges, luxury spa and Trocadero’s – a new venue which promises ‘transport guests to the dawn of a new golden era’ with seven-night-a-week entertainment and a world-class menu overseen by Michel Roux Jr.
The team organising the dinner include Norbert Lieder, managing director of Inverlochy Castle Management International; John McGurk, a survivor of childhood abuse and lifelong campaigner for children’s rights; Graeme Green, managing director of Crossbasket Castle and Natalie Buxton, managing director of Weber Shandwick.
The owners of Crossbasket Castle and a plethora of food, drink and event suppliers have donated their wares and venue to ensure no costs are removed from the ticket price.
Tickets are available from the Children 1st website starting at £150. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website.
