25 years after the first trip to Rwanda which sparked the birth of what was to become Comfort International, the charity is hosting its first ever formal ball to celebrate in style. The event will be held at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel on the 21st of September 2024 where supporters and friends will join together to celebrate the organisation’s silver anniversary.
The motivation behind the ball is three-fold. First of all, we are very happy to have an excuse to get dressed up and join together to celebrate 25 years of God’s goodness through the charity. Over the last quarter of a century, Comfort International has grown hugely, reaching thousands of vulnerable women, children and families who live in some of the most challenging situations in the world. No longer just in Rwanda, we are working with local partners in 5 countries, among the poorest in the world, and many plunged into conflict leaving families hungry, displaced and in danger. The projects we run with our incredible partners are providing food, security, health care, education, vocational training and so much more and have changed countless lives. We are so grateful for all that has been accomplished in these 25 years – far beyond what we could ever have asked or imagined.
The second reason for the ball is to introduce new people to the amazing work of Comfort International. It’s true that this is a slightly different type of event from the ones we are used to hosting in churches across Scotland and we are excited about the opportunity to introduce people who don’t yet know about what Comfort International to our whole vision, mission and values. The more people that know about the need in our partner countries, the more, we hope, can be done about the situation.
Finally, we hope that the ball will be an opportunity to raise funds for our incredible projects in Africa. These includes project such as Central Hospital Rusayu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an amazing team of doctors, nurses and support staff work in incredibly difficult and dangerous conditions to provide life-saving health care to the displaced and dying who would not be able to afford hospital treatment otherwise. There is also the Comfort Transformation Centre, where we are building a centre for accommodation for ex-street children, vulnerable mums and babies, and leisure and learning facilities to provide a safe environment for those recovering from life on the street. There are many other worthy projects; schools for displaced children in the Congo, fields for the Batwa people of Burundi and food for children who go the whole day without eating in rural Rwanda. The money raised from the ball could go towards these projects and more, to help keep changing lives in Africa.
The night is shaping up to be a fantastic event, and the organising committee have been working hard behind the scenes to make sure it will be one to remember. We are joined by journalist Cameron Mackay who will host the event, as well as BBC Bargain Hunt’s Roo Irvine who will be our auctioneer for the evening. Guests will enjoy a red carpet champagne reception, an address from Director Callum Henderson and a three course meal from the hotel. Then they can slip on their dancing shoes and get grooving to our band, Groove Culture.
We have had a huge number of extremely generous donors meaning that we have a great big list of incredible prizes to be won on the night. Our main auction includes nights to stay in homes in Islay and Lewis, beautiful pieces of art, garden furniture, festival tickets and more! We are also hosting a silent auction, where guests put in bids privately and the highest bidder wins. Those who cannot attend the ball in person can still make bids on our fantastic prizes by emailing [email protected]. You can browse our entire auction brochure by clicking on the photo below.
We also have an incredible range of raffle prizes where guests can buy tickets and be in with the chance of winning. These include a bottle of limited edition Old Pulteney Port cask whisky, courtesy of International Beverage, a boat trip across Loch Lomond, courtesy of Philip Beckwith, a voucher for an Experience with Experience Days (website here) food, drink and fashion vouchers, a hotel stay at the Glen Mhor Hotel or Schloss Roxburghe Hotel and so much more! Raffle tickets are £10 each, and we’ll be accepting card payments on the night but would encourage guests to bring cash if at all possible to facilitate the payment process!
The committee are excited about a number of other surprises coming up on the night, and the only way to see them is to be there! There are still a few very last-minute tickets available and if you feel you are missing out – you are! Get your tickets here and be part of a night to remember, one that will change many lives.
We look forward to seeing you all on the 21st of September!
