Over 140 guests enjoyed an afternoon at the Local Angels Lunch whilst raising £32,000 in support of Jewish Care’s services for older people in Redbridge and Essex. Special guest, Claire Sweeney, actress, singer and television personality, entertained guests with stories from stage and screen. From playing Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside to performing as Roxie Hart in Chicago, Claire’s love of musical theatre has seen her hit productions in the West End and abroad. In May, Claire will be part of the BBC’s presenting team at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 final in Liverpool.
Committee member, Michelle Lucas, welcomed everyone to the Lunch at Kings Oak Hotel in High Beech and Gayle Klein, the Chair of Local Angels Lunch Committee and Jewish Care Vice-Chair, gave a moving appeal. A member of the local community and of a family whose involvement in Jewish Care spans three generations, Gayle attended Jewish Care’s youth development programme as a teenager and has volunteered for many years, including by fundraising as part of the Local Angels Committee, delivering Jewish Care’s Meals on Wheels to clients in Redbridge and as a board member for the past six years.
“The past few years have been challenging for us all but especially for Jewish Care, as a social care organisation, and Covid-19 hasn’t gone away,” said Gayle, the Local Angels Committee Chair. “Additionally, since the cost of living crisis, our electricity bill alone has increased by over £1m a year. This really does continue to be a difficult time for all sectors, but perhaps even more so for the care sector.
“The North East London community needs the new Redbridge Care and Community Campus development to bring the services of the community centre and care home together in a new state-of-the-art fit for purpose community hub to care for and support the most vulnerable older people in the community. This is why I am asking for you to be as generous as you are able, so that we can continue to provide excellent care for the community in Redbridge and Essex, now and in the future.”
Introducing Claire Sweeney, Local Angels Committee member, Karen Leibovitch, added that as famously appearing in Brookside and then performing as Roxie Hart in Chicago in musical theatre, which she told guests is her absolute passion, Sweeney went on to appear in the first Celebrity Big Brother for Comic Relief which opened doors to career highlights including performing in Guys and Dolls, Educating Rita and later starring in the musical revue Fosse and entertaining British troops in Afghanistan.
In conversation with Gayle Klein at the event, Claire Sweeney, whose dad was a butcher and whose mum worked in pubs, shared stories of how she started in the entertainment industry at stage school, singing in social clubs and later going on to soaps, show business and then invitations which led to her singing with Jose Carreras as well as meeting and working with Hollywood heroes including Liza Minelli and Patrick Swayze.
Talking about her personal connection with Jewish Care, Claire Sweeney said, “I first became aware of the work of Jewish Care when they had offered help to a dear friend. Their care of another friend gave me further insight into their work. So, when I was asked if I would speak today, I said yes in a heartbeat. Jewish Care is such a great charity.”
Jewish Care’s Director of Fundraising & Community Engagement, Adam Overlander-Kaye, added, “I’d like to thank Claire Sweeney for a fantastically entertaining talk and for sharing such great stories so warmly with our guests, we really appreciate her support for Jewish Care.
“I would also like to thank the Local Angels Committee for their hard work and dedication in making today’s event such a great success and all of our guests for their generous support, which will make a huge difference to the lives of those Jewish Care supports across the Redbridge and Essex community.”