23 December 2009

30th annual Boutique de Noel holiday fair raises £75,000 toward tackling local poverty
League delivers personalised gift hampers to more than 1200 London residents through “Holiday Hampers” programme

London, December 22, 2009 – This holiday season, the Junior League of London has assisted more than 1200 people in need with holiday gifts and has also raised more than £75,000 from its annual holiday shopping fair, Boutique de Noel, to further the League’s work to eliminate poverty and its effects in London.

“Some families think this will be their most challenging Christmas ever,” said Christine Mohrmann, Community Vice President, Junior League of London.  “For 30 years, the Junior League of London has been raising funds to help families in need with its annual Boutique de Noel fair, and more recently working with local charities to identify the neediest of families and deliver essential basics, food and gifts through our ‘Holiday Hampers’ programme.  With more than half of children in greater London living in poverty, delivering just one gift that enables a child to read, play sport or use the mind is a worthy endeavour.”

In its efforts to reach even more local families in need this season, the Junior League of London has assembled and donated almost 900 personalised gift and food hampers to more than 1200 people and families in London.  Founded and managed solely by its membership, the 2009 Junior League’s Holiday Hamper programme is also dependent on the donation of goods and services from various partners and corporate donors including United Biscuit, Cadbury and Tetley.

In addition, the League hosted the 30th annual Boutique de Noel (“BdN”) holiday shopping fair, held at the Kensington Town Hall in November.   The successful annual fundraiser celebrated its 30th year as one of London’s premier holiday shopping fairs and raised more than £75,000 benefiting local community programmes.

Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr Timothy Coleridge, attended to welcome guests to Boutique de Noel festivities during opening night.  “The Junior League of London’s Boutique de Noel has become a holiday attraction and tradition for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and we are pleased by its continued success,” said Cllr Coleridge. “This event plays an important role in strengthening our community services as the funds raised by Boutique de Noel benefit several of the community programmes in our Borough.”

The two-day holiday fair included 110 gift exhibitors, wine tasting, Christmas flower decorating demonstrations and a parenting discussion with co-authors, Karen Doherty and Georgia Coleridge. More than 1,000 shoppers from the greater London area attended the event this year.  Key sponsors of this event included American Airlines, Godiva Chocolatier, Charles Mitchell Wines, Paula Pryke Flowers and Leading Small Hotels of the World.

As an active and distinguished women’s charity with more than 400 community volunteers, Junior League of London is dedicated to eradicating poverty in the London area.  Some of the organisations benefiting from this year’s fundraising and Holiday Hampers programme efforts include Notting Hill Housing Trust, Cardinal Hume, Coleville Primary School, Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Rugby Portobello Trust, a community centre in North Kensington; Centrepoint and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The Junior League has set the dates for the 31st annual Boutique de Noel on 11 and 12, November  2010, at the Kensington Town Hall in London.

About the Junior League of London

The Junior League of London is a UK registered charity comprised of women committed to promoting voluntary service, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. A member of the Association of Junior Leagues International and active in London since 1978, the JLL has over 400 volunteer members who provide more than 20,000 hours of service to the community each year through dedicated programmes that break the cycle of poverty through education and employment.  To learn more about the Junior League and its community projects, visit www.jll.org.uk or phone the Junior League office on 020 7499 8159.

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