Posted: Monday 6 July 2009

College Host Charity Dinner

Kilmarnock College has raised a whopping £350 for the drugs and alcohol awareness charity, Ark Foundation, after hosting a charity fundraising dinner.

The dinner was hosted in the College's Gallery Restaurant and the guest list included representatives from Ark, including founder Michael Quinn MBE, and Kilmarnock College Chair of the Board of Management, Steve Brannagan, as well as Kilmarnock College staff, friends and family members. .

The meal was prepared and served by Kilmarnock College Hospitality students studying SVQ Level 1 Cookery and Food Services, SVQ Level 2 Food Preparation and Cooking and SVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery courses. The local community contributed to the event also, with ingredients  for the dinner provided courtesy of Braehead Food in Kilmarnock and G Broadfoot & Sons in Irvine, while the catering equipment and table clothing were donated by E Russums & Sons Ltd. The College also held a luxury raffle with prizes donated by organisations including Boots, Knockhill Race Circuit, the Universal Restaurant in Glasgow and Sno Zone! at XScape at Braehead. Through ticket and raffle sales, a total of £350 was successfully raised for the charity.

The Ark Foundation was set up by former head chef of the five-star Ritz Hotel in London, Michael Quinn MBE. At 35, Michael was the only Briton to hold the prestigious title, but such a high pressured life came at a price. Michael began to struggle with alcohol addiction and by the 1990s, Michael was jobless and homeless.

With the help of Alcoholics Anonymous Michael began to get his life back and in 2001 set up the Ark Foundation, a charity to take an awareness seminar on alcohol and drugs to Hospitality and Catering Departments of colleges throughout the UK.

Michael said:

"I saw Ark as an educational tool to take the message of alcohol and drug awareness into colleges, specifically catering departments. As a charity we are always very grateful for donations and were thrilled to receive the money from Kilmarnock College's charity dinner."

The event was organised by Kilmarnock College Senior Catering and Hospitality Lecturer, Steve Elby, and his 21 year old daughter Jill, who is studying Media and Communications at Cardonald College.

Steve said: "The event was a huge success and we were thrilled to raise such a large sum for the Ark charity. Drugs and alcohol awareness is hugely important and the Ark Foundation do a terrific job. We were very pleased to have such a large turn out on the night, and are very grateful for the level of support shown by the local community, with donations for both the dinner itself, and the raffle. I would also like to personally thank the students of Kilmarnock College, and my daughter Jill, for all of their hard work."

For further information on Hospitality courses or any other courses available for study at Kilmarnock College please contact 01563 523501 or visit the courses section.

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