Quercus Foundation Springs Into Action

May 26, 2015 | By Lashara van Heerden

On Tuesday 12th May 2015, Quercus Foundation founder, Diego Biasi and trustees David Mandiya & Vinayak Bhattacharjee along with Heather Kerzner and Jeanette Calliva hosted The Spring Gala in aid of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, at Claridge’s Hotel in London.

The Spring Gala not only launched the Foundation, but contributed significantly to raising the necessary funds to build the new post-operative surgical wing at The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, with a completion date of December 2017.

Our guests included Elizabeth Hurley, Yasmin Le Bon, Monica Lewinsky, Natalie Imbruglia, Lisa Snowdon, Amanda Wakeley, Charles Saatchi, Trinny Woodall, Annabelle Neilson and Ben Chaplin who were all in attendance to support our worthy cause.

The event was kickstarted with army of African drummers flowing between the tables, finally arriving on stage to start the evening with an energetic performance, followed by a warm welcome from our co-host Heather Kerzner.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 12: (L to R) Trinny Woodall, Heather Kerzner, Charles Saatchi and Elizabeth Hurley attend the Spring Gala In Aid of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital hosted by QBF and Kerzner Calliva at Claridge’s Hotel on May 12, 2015 in London, England.
Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Biasi commented: “I would like to thank everybody involved at our Spring Gala for their contribution to such a worthy cause. The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is the largest stand-alone tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa dedicated entirely to child healthcare, and is in desperate need of additional investment. By leveraging on the Quercus Foundation’s significant investment and fundraising expertise, we look forward to further supporting the Hospital’s expansion plans.”

Bhattacharjee, added, “The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is one of the leading children’s hospitals in the world. Money raised at the successful Gala event will contribute significantly to the fundraising required to build the new post-operative surgical wing at the hospital, which will reduce delays and frequent cancellations of urgent medical procedures at its Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.”

The successful and fun gala evening was closed with Harry Delmeny of Sotheby’s slamming the final hammer down on an amazing prize to South Africa including an exclusive trip to Cape Town. The Gala raised £600,000 towards prioritised child healthcare needs and 100% of all proceeds raised go directly to the Hospital.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 12: (L to R) Hanns Kendel, Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, Anna Matthews and Lord Harry Dalmeny attend the Spring Gala In Aid of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital hosted by QBF and Kerzner Calliva at Claridge’s Hotel on May 12, 2015 in London, England.
Pic Credit: Dave Benett