Pratham UK celebrates raising over £450,000 at their Annual Gala
Pratham UK’s Annual Gala returned this year in the magnificent surroundings of Raffles London at The OWO, Whitehall earlier this month. Our Gala is not only a fantastic way to celebrate the growth of our programmes, but also a powerful way to raise funds for transforming children’s education in India.
This year, we’re thrilled to share that through the support and generosity of our Pratham UK family, we raised over £450,000 on the night!
Here we take a look at some of the evening’s highlights and the key people that made the Gala so special.
Host with the most – Rory Bremner
Comedy legend, Rory Bremner kindly hosted the Gala and entertained guests with his sharp and intellectual comedy style, bringing a dash of stardust to this year’s event along with his infectious energy and unparalleled comedic timing!
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rory’s career took off in the 1980s when he burst onto the comedy scene with his uncanny ability to mimic the voices of famous politicians and celebrities. His talent for satire and observational humour quickly earned him acclaim, leading to numerous television appearances and sold-out shows worldwide.
But Rory’s talents extend far beyond the realm of comedy. As a passionate advocate for education and social change, he has lent his voice to various charitable causes, including his role as a supporter of Pratham UK.
As an undeniably incredible performer we were delighted to welcome Rory to his very first Pratham UK Gala!
Inspiring leadership: keynote address by Satvinder Singh, Divisional CEO of Data and Analytics at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
We were thrilled to have keynote speaker, Satvinder Singh, a visionary leader from LSEG and a member of their Executive Committee share his industry insights and the importance of nurturing young talent as they become the next generation of business leaders.
With his extensive experience in the global financial community and dedication to developing future business leaders, Satvinder’s keynote speech was a true highlight of the evening.
Exploring corporate philanthropy: Industry leaders weigh-in on the true impact of giving back
Following Satvinder’s inspiring keynote speech, we had a fantastic panel discussing, “The Power of Corporate Giving” which was moderated by Nishma Gosrani OBE who is a Financial Services (FS) Partner at Bain & Company, where she leads Bain’s Financial Services Female CEO Club, Stratos.
The panel of industry leaders included, Dixit Joshi, who was most recently the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Board member at Credit Suisse and currently serves as a Board Member of Man Group plc. We also had the wonderful, Tanuj Kapilashrami who is the Chief Strategy & Talent Officer at Standard Chartered and Non-Executive Director at Sainsbury’s PLC and author of the book, ‘The Skills-powered organisation’ (MIT Press, 2024) as well as Lord Jitesh Gadhia, who is an investment banker and Member of the House of Lords.
The insightful dialogue covered the vital role corporate giving plays in driving positive change, featuring the experiences and perspectives of our distinguished panel. From corporate strategy to personal stories of philanthropy, the panel showcased how businesses can be a force for good. This engaging discussion left our guests with a deeper understanding of how leadership, talent, and giving can shape a brighter future for the next generation.
A very special Q+A with Siddhi, a graduate from the Second Chance Programme
One of the most special parts of the evening was when long-time Pratham UK supporters, Charu and Adarsh Sarma facilitated a heartfelt and insightful conversation with Second Chance Programme graduate, Siddhi who was excited to share her inspiring story with guests on the night.
Siddhi, who is from the Ajmer District in Rajasthan, faced significant challenges in completing her education when both her parents began struggling with their health, leaving them unable to work. With younger siblings to help bring up and a family that needed financial support, Siddhi made the difficult decision to leave education.
However, thanks to Pratham’s Second Chance Programme, Siddhi’s life took an extraordinary turn, enabling her to continue her schooling and attain her high school diploma. Siddhi is now a teacher on the Second Chance Programme, encouraging other young women and girls like her who have had to leave school due to difficult circumstances, reclaim their education and dream bigger than they ever thought possible.
She is a remarkable young woman and truly brought Pratham’s work to life on the evening for guests with so many commenting how emotional and inspired they felt as a result of hearing Siddhi’s story of resilience.
Entertainment with renowned magician and illusionist, Magic Singh
We were excited to have renowned magician and illusionist, Magic Singh perform at Gala for the first time to dazzle guests with his extraordinary sleight of hand!
Born Amardeep Singh Dhanjal, Magic Singh has stunned audiences with his mind-bending acts for over two decades now, earning him a large social media following and recognition as one of the top magicians in the UK. He is celebrated for his mesmerising visual magic and mind reading and has performed for global audiences and top celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench and Sachin Tendulkar.
During the drinks reception, Magic Singh mingled with guests, leaving them in awe as he performed up-close illusions and amazing card tricks. Later, he took to the stage, where he delivered a captivating performance that left everyone entranced.
Exclusive book signing with Antara Martins
We were delighted to have young Pratham UK supporter, Antara Martins do an exclusive book signing to launch her debut poetry collection, ‘Poison’ as well as perform a wonderful poetry reading for guests on the night.
All proceeds from ‘Poison’ are going to Pratham’s Second Chance Programme and will be match funded by generous donors – multiplying your donations. You can buy your copy here.
Live Auction
We were back this year with some brilliant live auction lots, from luxurious holidays and signed sports memorabilia from cricket legend, Sourav Ganguly to art and photography pieces from some fantastic artists.
We had generous donations from Vilas and Reita Gadkari, DreamSetGo, JKS Restaurants, Natasha Kumar, Percy and Dina Marchant and Harm Gerdes (kindly sourced by Caroline Cole).
We also organised a silent auction which included lots from Raffles London at The OWO, artist Taran Mathur, Benares, London Sport Physio, Alison Jones (sourced by Caroline Cole), YUNIKULONDON, Bicester Village, artist Siti Aina Zulkifle (courtesy of Antara Martins), Beena Menon at The Hale Clinic, photographer Arjun Paliwal, artist Shalini Bharadwaj and artwork donated by Anita Martins.
A big thank you goes to our generous donors for all the amazing lots and our incredible Auctioneer, Edward Rising!
Thank you!
Finally, we’d like to say a huge thank you to every single guest who attended this year’s Gala and donated so generously as well as every performer, speaker, panelist and guest star that made the night so memorable.
You can see all the amazing photos from the night here.
Further information
If you have any further questions about future events, sponsorship and funding opportunities, or our work in India, please email: Tijana: tijana@pratham.org.uk or Nick: nick@pratham.org.uk.
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