A trio of students in Aberdeen are hosting a fundraising dinner in aid of Marie Curie next month.
Robyn Pender, Lauren Edwards and Kirsten Forsyth are organising the gathering as part of their events management course at the city’s Robert Gordon University.
They were set a target of raising £2,500 for a charity of their choice through a live event as part of a module in their final year.
Their Diamond Dinner will be held on Saturday March 7 as the Norwood Hotel, from 7pm-1am.
Miss Forsyth, 21, said they were hopeful that all the ingredients for a sparkling event were in place.
“We definitely wanted to do something prestigious and Norwood was the right location for us,” she said.
It has been named the Diamond Dinner as a nod to the cancer charity’s history, as the first ever donation it received was an engagement ring.
The night will feature a drinks reception, a three-course meal, a speech from a nurse who has worked with Marie Curie and a performance from Aberdeen based singer-songwriter Daniel Mutch.
Raffle tickets will also be on sale, with prizes including signed rugby and football tops, perfume, champagne, trips to golf courses and tickets to events at the Satrosphere.
Miss Forysth, 21, said she and her friends were confident that teamwork would help them pull off an unforgettable evening.
“We have all got personal reasons why we are delighted to be involved with Marie Curie, they have been great to work with,” she said.
“We have been together all through university and I was at college with Lauren, so this is a great way to tie it all together.”
Last year the trio separately arranged musical performances in the RGU students’ union, but this will be the biggest event they have organised so far, making it a fitting end to their studies.
The preparations have been going on since September and the experience will prove invaluable for life after university as all three want to continue in the field.
Miss Pender, 21, has already secured a job running events with an Edinburgh-based oil and gas company.
For the project, the women were paired up with Carolyn Snedden, fundraising manager at Marie Curie’s Aberdeen office.
She said: “I’ve been delighted to work in partnership with the students, it has been great to work with different ideas.
“We are looking for anyone in Aberdeen to come along to help raise funds.
“The whole idea came from the girls, they chose to do something relating to Marie Curie’s history.”
All funds raised will go towards the charity’s work in hospices in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Interest in the evening means the original attendance target of 100 people has been expanded to 120.
Groups and individuals can still reserve a place, with tickets costing £550 for a group of 10 or £55 for one person.
They can be obtained at:
http://iws.rgu.ac.uk/finance/forms/page.cfm?pge=99190
.