Ellora restaurant's staff, pictured, handed over a cheque for the amount to Sam Greatrex, Macmillan’s fundraising manager for South Birmingham and Solihull. Ellora’s manager Mash Hakim said: “It makes us enormously proud and gives us great satisfaction in giving back to the local community whose loyalty and sincerity continues to motivate us.”
Mr Hakim also thanked the four representatives from Barclays Bank's Citizenship Team who gave their support during Ellora’s Bollywood-themed fundraiser which was held in September last year.
The family-friendly fundraiser, which was organised to mark Ellora’s 47th anniversary, was attended by many, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull, Councillor Mike Robinson and Mrs Jenny Robinson, who shared their personal story of how they lost their 36-year-old daughter, Emma Walker, to cervical cancer in February 2010.
The evening featured a five-course meal, Bollywood dances, a raffle draw and auction, a henna artist, a cake-cutting ceremony, speeches, a sitar player and more. In addition, to mark the Ellora’s 47thanniversary, a special souvenir was unveiled which featured goodwill messages from Her Majesty The Queen, actor Nitin Ganatra, MPs Julian Knight and Jess Phillips, popular comedian Shazia Mirza and Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer.
Among well-wishers who sent a goodwill message was world-class celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay OBE. He said: “We are a nation of curry lovers and to impress upon your customers is a skill in itself."
