Aveda raises thousands for wateraid at earth month dinner
As far as luxury goes, you can't get much better than Kensington Roof Gardens, a leafy oasis of calm in central London which played host to Aveda's Earth Month Gala Dinner 2013.
However, it was for those in less fortunate circumstances - people who struggle to get access to clean water on a daily basis - that Aveda staff and salon owners gathered in the venue, with proceeds from tickets and the charity auction going to WaterAid.
The gala dinner was part of Aveda's Earth Month campaign, which has also included a world record attempt cut-a-thon and sales of the money-raising Light The Way candle. Members of the Aveda team have also embarked on fundraising efforts of their own, including a fire walk and a 66 mile bike ride to gather more money for the cause.
TV Presenter Laura Whitmore - pictured above with (L-R) Susie Kennedy from WaterAid, HJi's Sophie Hines and Aveda's Darren Potter - was in attendance, and spoke about the importance of the charity before the auction kicked off. "Sitting here with all this lovely food and drink, it's easy for us to forget the hardship some people go through" she said, encouraging attendees to dig deep in the auction.
A large variety of exciting lots were available for bidding, including a two-night getaway to Edinburgh, an Apple iPad mini, tickets to a rugby match at the Millenium Stadium and a party table at one of Prince Harry's favourite London nightspots, the alpine-themed Bodo's Schloss. Guests were generous in their bids, thanks partly to a rather persuasive approach from the auctioneer, Kate McKenzie, and a grand total of £11,703 was raised by the end of the night.
