Charity donations on the menu at borough restaurants

The first five successful "introductions" have been made in the Mayor's innovative charity fundraising scheme with local restaurants to support charities during his year of office - and that's just for starters!

So far five local restaurants have signed up to the scheme in which owners and managers of restaurants are being asked to encourage customers to make an optional donation to one of the charities on the Mayor's approved list - and the Mayor is hoping that others will follow suit and give the scheme serious food for thought.

Mayor Cllr Asghar Majeed and his sister, Mayoress Naheed Majeed, came up with the idea to ensure that as wide a range as possible of local charities benefit from fund-raising throughout the year.

The scheme was officially launched in The Guildhall, Windsor, on Friday (24 June), when the first five restaurants were "matched" with the charity of their choice:
• Elva Lodge Hotel, Maidenhead, with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Jenner's Riverside Café, Maidenhead, with Starfish and Maidenhead Sea Cadets
• Macdonald Caleys Hotel with the Windsor Parish Church Tower Appeal
• The Rose and Crown, Winkfield, Ascot, with Thames HospiceCare
• Forenza, Maidenhead with Maidenhead Mencap.

Cllr Majeed said after the launch: "I am absolutely delighted to welcome the first five restaurants into the scheme, and hope that many others will follow their lead.

"It is really easy to take part - once a restaurant signs up we will ask them to choose a charity from my approved list and will introduce the restaurant to their chosen charity.

"Then it is really up to them to decide between them how best they can support that charity - with ideas so far ranging from a special collecting tin on display in the restaurant or a Mayor's charity "dish of the day" to a voluntary donation or a one-off fundraising event

"Diners will have the option to give as much or as little as they wish, knowing that every penny of their contribution will go to that local charity.

"I really hope more restaurants will see how easy it is to help us to help local charities and sign up to the scheme."

Once the restaurants have been matched with a charity they will work together to manage the donations process, with a monthly report to the Mayor's office to monitor the amounts raised.

All participating restaurants will receive a certificate from the Mayor which they can display on their premises.

Cllr Majeed added: "We hope this will be seen as a 'Badge of Honour' to show the link between organisations and local charities. We were very encouraged by the response at the launch event - with charities pledging to approach their local restaurants to urge them to get involved."

Schools across the borough have also been involved by taking up the Mayor's challenge to come up with a suitable name for the scheme.

For further information about the scheme contact the Mayor's Secretary on mayors.parlour@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01628 796223.

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