Fashion Safari! Catwalk, cupcakes and live music in a very good cause
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Malawi Music Fund, the locally-run charity offering educational opportunities for some of the world’s poorest children, has teamed up with The Longship and Kirkwall Grammar School to stage Fashion Safari – a unique spring fashion show at Kirkwall Grammar School this evening, Friday.
Local catwalk models will be showing off the latest looks for spring and summer from leading trendsetters such as Thanny, Indi & Cold, French Connection and White Stuff. There’ll be wedding wear from Tina Taylor.
Popular ranges of waterproofs from Rains and Ilse Jacobsen will also be on show, as well as exciting knitted garments from local designers.
As well an eclectic range of clothes for all ages, in sizes from eight to 18, there’ll be a selection of dazzling handbags and accessories, and a special perfume scenting experience!
All of this will be accompanied by live music provided by a mixture of talented KGS students and staff, including the KGS Windband, String Quartet and String Orchestra, and Hadhirgaan.
There’ll be a rockin’ set from the KGS Staff Band, and the rhythms of Africa from the African Jigsaw Choir.
Malawi Music Fund was founded in 2007, making this its tenth anniversary year.
Kirkwall’s Glenys Hughes had spent a year there teaching music, and been struck by the hardship of the country’s orphans – estimated to be over one million in number – who had lost their parents due to illness and poverty.
She resolved to help the children boost their learning and confidence by organising music, art and sport workshops during school holidays.
This initiative helps approximately 40 children each year who make up Likhubula Children’s’ Choir, now an established singing group which has performed in many areas of southern Malawi over the past decade.
“We soon realised we needed to do more to support the children’s education,” said Glenys. “There’s no free secondary education in Malawi, so many children have to end their schooling at the age of eleven or twelve.
“We decided that we would expand our activities to provide bursaries for children to attend secondary school. We’re currently funding 20 kids in that way.
“It’s amazing, just £100 can fund a child’s secondary education for a year, providing them with school fees, uniforms, shoes, jotters and everything else they need.”
Ingrid Tait said: “We at The Longship are delighted to support MMF. We’re lucky to have such wonderful school facilities at KGS, so it seems very fitting to hold our Fashion Safari there to raise funds for a place where going to school at all is a luxury.’
MMF volunteers will be hosting the evening, and there will be tea, cakes and homebakes. There will also be Longship discount vouchers for everyone who attends, and a prize raffle.
Tickets are £8 or £7 for concessions, and are available from The Longship in Kirkwall. All proceeds go to MMF and KGS. Doors open at 7.00pm and the show starts at 7.30pm, in what promises to be a great night out – all in a very good cause.