WiT, the Women in Travel networking group, is to meet on Monday, 14 May at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore, where a major charitable success will be celebrated.
The meeting will be held at the TFWA Asia Pacific Bar on Level 3 of the Suntec Centre, immediately after the conference, which is scheduled to finish at 17.45.
Announcing the gathering, World Duty Free Group’s Sarah Branquinho added that it had been a memorable week for WiT after a bottle of limited-edition Glenfiddich whisky given to WiT by William Grant & Sons was successfully auctioned for £42,000 in aid of the Lotus Flower Trust charity for disabled Indian children, which WiT members have been supporting.
As Branquinho explained in a message to fellow WiT members: “Last October I was approached by Rita Greenwood, a WiT and Managing Director of Global Travel Retail at William Grant & Sons, with a very special proposal. Those of you at TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes last year will recall that WiT’s raffle was held to raise money to help the Lotus Flower Trust to build a school for 100 physically and mentally disadvantaged children in Ramnagar, India.
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The rare bottle of Glenfiddich whisky given to WiT raised £42,000 at auction for the Lotus Flower Trust |
“To celebrate the life and work of Mrs Janet Sheed Roberts, an amazing lady who was the granddaughter of William Grant and celebrated her 110th birthday last year, Wm Grant & Sons produced 11 very special bottles of 55yo whisky, each bottle representing a decade of Mrs Roberts’ life, all of which are being auctioned for charity. Sadly, Mrs Roberts died last month.
“Bottle no. 7 was allocated to William Grant & Sons Global Travel Retail Division and Rita chose WiT’s charity last year, the Lotus Flower Trust, to be the beneficiary when the bottle was auctioned.
“At a ceremony last week to unveil a portrait of Mrs Janet Sheed Roberts, a cheque from the proceeds of the auction was presented to Lotus Flower Trust. The winning bidder was World Duty Free Group which bid £42,000. This sum, added to the funds raised in Cannes last year, will allow Lotus Flower Trust to complete the school, and partly fund the home. A further £17,000 is needed.
“The school is – monsoon permitting – on target to be built by the end of November. It will be the only school specifically for physically and mentally challenged children in Uttrakhand State, and we hope it will provide a model for other schools to follow.”
Branquinho concluded: “On that extraordinary note, and on behalf of the WiT stalwarts – Gerry, Amanda, Tina, Lois, Catherine, Rowena, Nicole, etc – I look forward to seeing you all in Singapore next Monday.”
Sarah Branquinho can be contacted at Sarah.Branquinho@wdfg.com
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