- Announcing the collaboration between Walking with the Wounded and RAFT.
Some of the many elegant and notable London dignitaries at the reception.
More of the many elegant and notable London dignitaries at the reception.
Dato’ Tiffanee Marie Lim explaining Limkokwing University’s prime role in the sponsorship of the event.
Limkokwing University London Campus recently hosted a reception for the announcement of the fundraising extravaganza called ‘Steps to the Future’. Steps to the Future is the result of the groundbreaking merger and mutual fund-raising collaboration of two outstanding charities which are devoted to the recovery and future well-being of soldiers and those who have suffered serious injury and wound in both military and civilian life, namely Walking with the Wounded and RAFT.
The occasion of the early evening cocktail party was organised jointly by public relations consultant Ms. Liz Brewer and Ms. Sunny Hosseinkhani, and kindly hosted by Dato’ Tiffanee Marie Lim, Associate Vice President and Limkokwing Fashion Club Director and London ambassador of the founder and president of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr Lim Kok Wing, who has been a generous sponsor to the two charities.
Walking with the Wounded, represented by its Head of Fundraising, Mr. Andrew Cork, is the UK-based charity which “funds both the re-training and re-education of wounded servicemen and women with the aim of helping them find long term employment after they have left the Armed Forces”. Walking with the Wounded finance new qualifications, education and training programmes for those who are injured, aiming to assist with career transition. This enables the blind, the burn victims, the mentally injured, the amputees and all the other wounded personnel to rebuild their lives and to return to the work place.
RAFT, represented in turn by its CEO Ms. Leonor Stjepic, the charity which undertakes extensive research into all forms of curative potentials, describes itself as “medical researchers, surgeons, fundraisers and support staff working together as a team under one roof, but with a global perspective. We are academic collaborators, donors, patient groups and volunteers who believe in the work of RAFT. Around the world, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are affected by skin disfiguring illnesses and damage such as burns, cancer, wounds and limb amputations. RAFT is here to help them.”
Ms. Brewer opened the formal element of the proceedings with an announcement of the union between the two active charities which she described as “This is a natural co-incident, their merging seeming ideally suited and its benefits perfectly compatible and co-extensive”. As the shared link of the two charities and an ideal emcee of the occasion Ms. Brewer then introduced Ms. Stjepic and Mr. Cork, to explain the work of their respective charities and their views on the new amalgamation.
Ms. Stjepic presented the aspirations and achievements of RAFT, explaining its role in the enabling of scientific discovery in the technologies of bodily renewal procedures including specifically currently the manufacture and application of bionic limbs, breast reconstruction, and other physical innovations, but also therapies directed to countering skin disfiguring conditions of cancer, burns and wounds with the cutting-edge tools of wound-healing medical research. She too endorsed Ms. Brewer’s view of the supportive practical and fund-raising advantages of the liaison established with Walking with the Wounded as a most happy and productive arrangement.
Ms. Stjepic was immediately followed by Mr. Cork speaking of his charity and its new relation with Raft. He described the compatibility of its work with that of RAFT in that it seeks to provide retraining and re-education of servicemen enabling them to discover long term employment following their leaving the armed forces, especially those injured during service. The co-incident work of the two charities for the shared types of beneficiaries provided an ideal fund-raising base according to Mr. Cork.
Finally Ms. Brewer introduced the visiting Dato’ Tiffanee Marie Lim who had flown in from Malaysia to host and house the event in the elegant and highly historic Mayfair property of her university campus. Dato’ Tiffanee explained the university’s enthusiastic prime role in the sponsorship of the event and the fostering of the new relationship of the two charities. She was emphatic of the inspiring and motivating influence which the work and achievements of the charities has had upon the students within the University, and expressed her hopes and aspiration for further opportunities for fruitful and beneficial collaborations between them in the future, which she saw as a happy likelihood.
The gathering was attended by many elegant and notable London dignitaries many of whom have close connections with the three institutions, together with numerous representatives of the media of several nationalities and the media team of the University itself, which ensured a global cover of the unique event.
Steps to the Future will be held at Hurlingham Club, London, on 28th November 2014. To book a ticket to the event, please visit www.raft.ac.uk/Event/steps-to-the-future.