News
Christmas comes early at the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
July 15, 2011
by chief executive officer Andrew Chappell
“Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man”
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man”
(Imagine, John Lennon)
This is a special time of year at the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. We have been receiving the last rush of generous donations at the end of the financial year and have also been planning a lunch for about 1500 special guests!
Today we are hosting our fourth Christmas in July lunch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for 100 of Melbourne’s charitable organisations. Our special guests are staff, carers and their clients. Many of their clients are experiencing homelessness and disadvantage and come from right across the social welfare sector. At this Christmas lunch, everyone is a VIP.
The idea for the event emerged in 2006 from a conversation I had with the then Lord Mayor, John So. The businessman and philanthropist Sidney Myer, who provided Christmas lunches for thousands of Melbourne’s disadvantaged at the Melbourne Exhibition Building during the 1930s, inspired it.
In 2008 our idea became a reality when we invited many of Melbourne’s charitable organisations to celebrate our 85th anniversary with us. We were humbled by the many offers of assistance that ensured its success.
Each year Christmas in July becomes bigger and better. Our guests share a lovely three-course Christmas meal and are entertained by some of Melbourne top musicians. This year Daryl Braithwaite is the headline act and will be supported by Rudely Interrupted. We will also welcome more than 60 volunteers from Westpac and VECCI to help out. Our generous sponsors and donors provide funding and in-kind support.
So why do this? What difference can a nice Christmas lunch make? The answer is: a huge difference!
Our team at the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation will never forget the many moving moments we have witnessed and shared.
These include seeing volunteers reach out to isolated members of our community, guests with hearing difficulties applauding with hands held high and dancing after lunch as we all enjoy what life brings.
We love getting feedback from the guests, hearing comments like, “This must be what it’s like to go to a restaurant”, and “This has been my best Christmas ever”.
The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation strives to ensure everything is just right, but each year we’re reminded that perfection is not the point of this wonderful event. I remember apologising to a charity co-ordinator for the imperfect acoustics. She gave me a confused look – her response was to say what an honour it had been for her clients to come and be treated as royalty. They had been so looking forward to it – and to be able to meet some famous Melbourne people was almost too much!
We are confident that Sir John Swanson, the lord mayor who founded our organisation in 1923, would be proud that his Foundation continues to take such an initiative in the community.
Andrew Chappell
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