Sixth Form Pupil Partners with Leading London Restaurants to raise £3,000 for Charity
Aryaveer Baljee, Winchester College Sixth Form pupil and a Hampshire Youth MP, recently launched a new initiative, Pounds 4 Plates, to help raise money for Hampshire-based charity, The Winchester Beacon.
From the 14th to 28th April, the initiative partnered with a leading London restaurant group, MW Eat, whose restaurants include Amaya, Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary and Masala Zone, who added a voluntary 0.25% charge to customers' bills, raising an impressive £3,000.
Aryaveer outside one of the restaurants engaged with the initiative
Aryaveer commented: “As of 2024, at least 350,000 people in England are homeless and, as the Youth MP for Central Hampshire, it is my duty to help those that face homelessness. I am extremely proud to support a local charity, The Winchester Beacon, and bring attention to such a pertinent issue in the country today.”
Winchester Beacon's Senior Communications and Fund Raising Officer, Nancy Judge, said “We are really impressed by Aryaveer’s idea and his commitment to supporting our charity. It is such an effective way to raise funds to support vulnerable people in our local area."
"The £3,000 that he has raised through the initiative will make a positive impact to many people as they rebuild a life beyond homelessness," continues Ms Judge. "Not only has Aryaveer raised money but he also volunteers his time to wash up at The Winchester Beacon in the evenings as part of his school’s outreach programme.”
Community Service is a key facet of pupil life at Winchester, with Wednesday afternoons set aside for a wide range of CS activities. This enables pupils to engage with the local community and work with a diverse range of people; from the elderly or very young, to the vulnerable and those with learning difficulties.
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