Month: November 2022

We recently shared with you how we had donated £4000 to Barry Brindley and The Zikomo Trust to help build a classroom over in Malawi, and we’re pleased to receive an update from Barry and the team on the progress.

Work has begun on digging the foundations, and materials have been bought and transported. It’s great for us to see the progress and we can’t wait to see the end result.

The possibilities are endless for this classroom when it’s built, the number of children it will benefit moving forward is huge, and something the Foundation is super excited to see and proud to be a part of.

The Zikomo Trust have already completed some amazing work over in Malawi and it’s an honour to be able to help them continue this.

The Parklane Foundation will continue to work alongside the Zikomo Trust in the Future and help benefit the lives over in Malawi, with its pledge to donate £250,000 over the next 5 years.

Here at the Parklane Foundation we are pleased to have hosted our inaugural Parklane Foundation Dinner on Thursday 17th November. We welcomed friends, family, supporters and guests to help reflect on the past year of fundraising but also to launch our new goals for next year.

While the Foundation has been running for many years, working on a number of projects, this was the first dedicated evening to celebrate the difference being made by the Foundation locally, nationally and internationally.

The evening involved key speakers, including ambassadors from a selection of our charity partners. Kicking off with some videos to showcase the work that has been done previously, with many not believing how much we have done and currently are doing for charities around the globe.

We welcomed Jenny from Young Lives Vs Cancer, our 2021 – 2022 Charity of the Year. We showcased the vast array of fundraising initiatives undertaken by The Parklane Group colleagues which raised a staggering £28,000 – truly amazing effort!

The evening was filled with some mouth-watering food! MyLahore started the evening with a picturesque grazing table and canapes, followed by a sit down three-course meal and an amazing dessert station. No one was disappointed or left hungry!

While Barry Brindley from the Zikomo Trust couldn’t attend as he was in Malawi, we were able to present his colleague Orla with a cheque for £4000. This money will enable a school to be built in Malawi meaning 240 children can now be taught in a proper classroom as opposed to under a tree (and dependent upon dry weather!) Barry was able to send a lovely video message which helped to inform the audience exactly how the money would help. The Parklane Foundation will continue to work with the Zikomo Trust in the future to help improve life over in Malawi.

Entertainment for the evening consisted of a magician performing some close-hand magic to our guests as they arrived, while Mark Ostyn and his two sons played some wonderful orchestral songs to welcome everyone, real Bridgeton Style. Before the mains were served it was time for the auction, tables went head to head to purchase some amazing prizes which went towards the 2022 – 2023 Charity of the Year fundraising initiative 60 for 60 – more below on our chosen recipients! To see the evening in we had a great band who manged to get everyone up and dancing – ending the evening with a real bang.

The evening saw the launch of our new Charity of the Year – Dementia UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Leeds Hospitals Charity. The chosen charities are very close to home with Mrs Ahmed unfortunately suffering from Dementia. The family and Parklane Group are dedicated to supporting those who are directly impacted by these illnesses and support their family and friends. With the total raised for last year’s chosen charity exceeding all expectations, the goal this year is to strive for £60,000 hence 60 for 60! (Our Managing Director Naveen Ahmed turned 60 earlier this year!)

We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who attended the evening, to those who have supported the Parklane Foundation this year and many years before. The money raised continues to make a difference, we will continue with initiatives and partnering with charities to help build better futures.

Barry Brindley is the Chairman and founder of the Zikomo Trust, a charity devoted to helping grass roots projects in Malawi, funding educational scholarships and helping the most vulnerable in society.

Barry and his wife worked in Central Africa in the 1970s and 80s, over this period of time they were grateful for the welcoming and hospitality from those in Zambia and Malawi, making many life long friends along the way. They returned to the UK in 1987 and as Thank you to those who made their time so great they have continued supporting projects in Malawi.

The Trust was formed in 2011 with the following objectives. They want to promote activities which have aim of improving the conditions of life and/or education. While also collecting, dispatching and distributing education, medical and relief goods throughout Malawi. Help to fund organisations and institutions actively involved in the relief of poverty and provision of education. And finally, the provision of grants and bursaries for identified children to attend an educational establishment up to and including tertiary level.

The Parklane Group has strong links to Malawi as their family moved over to UK in 1976, they have always wanted to give back to those who were less fortunate and have be able to do this in many ways. From housing project donations to providing several villages, and thousands of people, with clean drinking water, The Parklane Foundation is passionate about creating a better life for those living in poverty in Malawi.

Upon hearing of all the great work Barry had been doing, The Parklane Foundation wanted to help, they have donated £4,000 to Barry and his trust which will be able to transform and build a classroom over in Malawi. Upon receiving the cheque Barry was overwhelmed, he was then able to explain the impact this would have. It would be able to build two classrooms which can fit 60 children in each, he also explained they have two school schedules, morning and afternoon school. This means that 240 children will be able to use these facilities, which is amazing!

For more information about Barry and Zikomo visit http://zikomotrust.org/