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Ephraim Court
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On Tuesday 10th September, we held a fundraising dinner for current and new supporters. To date the event, held at JW3, raised £200,000.
At the event, guests heard from Ruth, a tenant, about how Jewish Blind & Disabled have supported her for the last 20 years and had the opportunity to ask Lisa Wimborne, Chief Executive and Marc Gordon, Chair, questions.
Rob Rinder joined us for part of the evening and said “Family and home are two essential ingredients of who we are as a community. JBD is an example of who we are and who we can be at our best. You can feel a special magic in this room. A term that is perhaps used too loosely and causally but is clear when you are in the presence of it.”
Questions from supporters included what our plans are for the next 5-10 years, about the proposed redevelopment our oldest building, Fairacres in East Finchley, and around the types of disabilities that tenants have.
Ruth said: “As my health deteriorated in my 50s, I was struggling in our third-floor rental flat with no lift. I knew I wasn’t going to let my disability stop me from living life to the full, so we needed a place to live that supported my needs. Moving to JBD changed our lives. The move enabled me to get my first mobility scooter, and a new world of opportunities opened up. JBD offered us a place we could call home. No other charity provides housing and support for Jewish people living with disabilities. It is a place that ensures my disability doesn’t stop me living my life as I wish.”
Speaking at the event, our Chair, Marc Gordon said: “By providing people with the right physical environment and support we enable people to live their life to the full with their own front door and a place to call home, along with the peace of mind that should they need, day or night, support is there for them. And we are plugging the same gap as a communal organisation for people in their own home via our independent living advisory service.
We have a big job to do to meet the demand we are facing from across the community. Our ambitious plans will only be possible through working in partnership with our supporters, volunteers and the wider community.”
Following the event, Chief Executive, Lisa Wimborne commented: “We were thrilled to have many new and existing supporters join us at the event and to be able to hear first-hand from Ruth who spoke from the heart about how her life has changed since moving to her Jewish Blind & Disabled flat. This is an exciting time for JBD and I was pleased to have the opportunity to answer a range of questions from supporters on the night. Demand for our housing and support has never been higher and we are doing all we can to make sure we can meet the demand; whether that’s going full steam ahead with our construction projects or expanding our community-based services so that we can reach more people who need our help. However, none of this will be possible without ongoing support from the community for which we are incredibly grateful.”
You can watch the film we shared on the night here and see the photos from the event here.