Candlelit food and drink events to raise cash for charity

A further five food and drink businesses will also be spreading awareness and fundraising in aid of ShelterBox throughout November.

The UK disaster relief charity, which currently has teams on the ground helping those made homeless by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as those displaced by the Rohingya crisis, is working with Polygon Pop-up to run the city-wide takeover festival as part of its winter fundraising initiative.

Shine for ShelterBox is all about getting together with friends and family for cosy winter feasts and raise money for families made homeless by conflict and natural disaster. The campaign is inspired by the charity’s LuminAID solar lights that are included in its ShelterBoxes.

Highlight events in Brighton include an evening of organic wines and small plates paired with cocktails from expert mixologists, an African and Guajarati fusion supper club, a candlelit Caribbean-inspired feast collaboration, an evening of food from chef Michael Bremner and Cin Cin, plus a collaboration with start-up events business ‘Supper with…’ and two of Brighton's up and coming chefs Toby Cackett and Ryan Hunt from Silo.

Richard Humphris, founder of Polygon Pop-Up, said: “I supported Shine for ShelterBox last year with an event at Skiff, which was a huge success. This year I wanted to make an even bigger impact and have worked to bring together some amazing venues and chefs to create a month-long festival of ‘Shine’ pop-up events. This really is a city-wide collaboration, which we hope will raise a lot of money for ShelterBox."

Lucy Holden from ShelterBox, said: “Light is at the centre of our winter campaign. We want people to get together and have loads of candlelit, feasting fun, whilst also raising money for those made homeless by conflict and natural disaster. Shine for ShelterBox means more light for families, providing a bit of safety, hope and comfort when they need it most.

“When disasters strike and power lines go down, families are left vulnerable. That’s why, alongside our shelter aid, we provide lights that dispel the dark and help families in desperate circumstances feel a little bit safer. You can’t underplay the importance of light in these situations. A simple solar lamp can make a huge difference in far reaching ways, including helping to reduce the threat of gender violence in camps and allowing children to play in safety - not to mention making it easier to cook and share a meal together.

For more details on events and to buy tickets, visit: www.shelterbox.org/shine-for-shelterbox-events-2017