Why we formed?
Being fortunate enough to be British born Tamils, we can’t help but feel privileged at the freedom of our life. Drawing parallels with our brothers and sisters living and breathing the devastation that is Sri Lanka, has not only left us feeling guilty but also helpless. With these thoughts weighing on our minds the ACF youth wing (ACF-YW) was formed in 2004.
Our objectives:
While leveraging the heritage and reputation our parent committee have already established, our ultimate ambition will always be to follow in their footsteps. For the immediate future, however, our main aims and goals are to:
Our events:
Each year, the ACF-YW aim to hold at least one fundraising event to give younger generations the opportunity to make a difference. Our most recent event ‘Treasure Island’ (October 2007) was extremely successful in raising over £2,000, towards helping the internally displaced people of Mullaitivu.
The future success of ACF-UK rests on our shoulders and depends on the strength and the determination of not only the youth wing committee, but more importantly the youth supporters. As we, living in Britain, grow stronger each year, the children of Sri Lanka grow weaker and the difference we make to the lives of these children becomes increasingly real and demanding. Just as you won’t let us down we can’t let them down. We thank you for your support so far and hope that as we mature even further, you will be there with us every step of the way.
Our previous events:
A Drop of Hope
In 2005, the ACF-YW presented their first fundraising event, A Drop of Hope. Located in the heart of the King Henry VIII’s realm, the Lion Gate Hotel drew in over 250 guests. The debut dinner and dance event was extremely successful and raised over £3,000.00. Great raffle prizes were won and a Michael Jackson signed record was auctioned for £500. Following great review and positive feedback, ACF-YW became established and reputable fundraisers in the Sri Lankan youth community.
Walk the Red
Ensuing the triumph of the first event, ACF-YW was keen to complete their second event. Targeting a slightly younger audience an unknown challenge lay ahead. With the event name of Walk the Red, guests were invited to dress up as their favourite celebrities. Finally the star studded night arrived and in a secluded bar in east London, Alicia Keys and Audrey Hepburn danced the night away. The Moulin Rouge girls won best female costume while Ronaldinhio danced away with best male. Another tremendous night, which raised a further £1,000 for ACF-UK.
Treasure Island
Entering our third year of fundraising, ACF-YW wanted to ensure that crowds were drawn in.
Deep in the depths of the River Thames, ACF-YW found a small but beautiful island fit to accommodate 200 people. Themed as Treasure Island, the evening was filled with a variety of hidden treasures, a luck dip, a raffle with 10 fantastic donated prizes including a trip to Malta.
Another hugely successful night for ACF-YW, raising over £2000. The money raised from this event was given to the internally displaced people (IDP) of Sri Lanka.
Sky Dive
Our youngest Youth Wing member Christina found the courage to do a Tandem Skydive in October 2007. She raised awareness of our cause amongst young people her age group whilst raising over £2000! It was a brave effort indeed!
Tina's Skydive
