ORGANISERS are tickled pink following the success of their first fundraising gala dinner in Warwick.
A Touch of Pink Gala, held at King’s High, raised £24,000 for The Esther Project based in Leamington.
The CiC was established by Lianne Kirkman in 2023 with a mission to create a nurturing and empowering community where every woman can heal, grow and reach their future potential. It does this through a range of services, including counselling, one-on-one support, creative activities, employability opportunities, and drop-in sessions.
Esther House – a seven-bed supported living accommodation, also opens its doors for vulnerable women who need a safe space to recover.
Lianne said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity shown at our inaugural ‘A Touch of Pink’ Gala. To raise £24,000 in a single evening is a life-changing result for The Esther Project, especially as we started this journey just 18 months ago with £0 in the bank, just a team of strong women with a vision to make a difference.
“A year ago, I spent ten nights sleeping rough in ten different locations across the UK to truly understand the dangers and gaps in support for women. The research is clear, domestic abuse is the leading cause of women’s homelessness, and trauma affects so many women across our county, who often don’t feel safe accessing the support due to mixed gender environments. That sleepout experience was a turning point for me; it confirmed that specialised, women-only services are vital for women’s survival. The funds raised at the gala will help us to continue to provide a women only sanctuary and fuel our vision for more hubs and safe spaces across the county. Our Gala Dinner night was a true community effort.”
The full evening of entertainment was compered by award-winning host and broadcaster Kirsty Leahy of KLP, and included live music from all-female electric-acoustic trio String Infusion and talented singer songwriter Shanade Morrow.
Also helping to keep the guests entertained throughout the evening was Angus Baskerville, wowing with his table magic – and DJ James Farmer who saw the night out with plenty of dancefloor fillers.
There was also the chance to get your photo taken wearing the Queen Cape, handmade by the Esther ladies earlier this year. The impressive patchwork is made up of more than 1,000 hand-stitched hearts and flowers and took over six months to complete.
