It's all Greek to Emilia and Claire!

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Regular volunteers Emilia and Claire decided to do something extra special for North London Cares in May. As part of 7 Days to Raise, they threw a toga-tastic Greek-themed dinner party for their friends. By asking each of their friends for a small donation they raised over £200 for North London Cares!

Here, Emilia reveals what inspired her to get fundraising for North London Cares...

When I first moved to London, I knew barely anyone. It initially felt quite lonely at times. It made me think, 'If I’m lonely as an outgoing twenty-something with all the fantastic amenities of London around me, what would someone who was more isolated feel like?' I am close to my grandparents at home so I thought what better way to make some friends than to hang out with older people in my area. I spoke to my friend Claire, who wanted to do the same, and through surfing the web, we discovered North London Cares.

Laura welcomed us both to our first film night in Kings Cross. Everyone was so friendly that we immediately felt right at home. Since then, we've been trying to go to the film club most weeks and in doing so, have made friends with the likes of John, Mary, and Pat.

I enjoy escaping city life and relaxing over a sandwich and cup of tea, having a natter and a giggle. From speaking to my older neighbours, you can tell that these social clubs mean a lot: I found out that some neighbours don’t have a TV, so film nights are a real treat.

Claire and I received an email from North London Cares about 7 Days to Raise and we wanted to take part to ensure that these events keep running, not only for our neighbours but also for us! Claire and I met up to discuss the logistics and decided to plan our first ever dinner party for our friends, where we would charge £15 for a three course meal (a bargain, I’m sure you’ll agree!). We went for a Greek theme because the food seemed manageable (greek salad and cous cous, right?) and dressing up in togas seemed like a fun idea. Although in reality, our sophisticated dinner party could never have been classy when we had a bunch of fully grown adults sitting there in fitted bedsheets.

The most difficult decision was at whose house to host the party. We both live in shared houses and having 10 people round is quite a feat. Claire volunteered as she had a table that could seat more than four people! We decorated the house in blue and white to go with the enormous Greek flag and stuck up balloons with North London Cares stickers on them.

We had nibbles to start: not one, not two, but three types of hummus; tzatiki; pitta breads; and olives. For our starter, we made spanakopita cups with feta and creamed spinach and mint lamb kofta meatballs. We also had a beetroot and walnut salad. For the main, we made three oven dishes of mousakka, meaning we had some leftover at the end, greek salad, and far too much couscous. For dessert, we made baklava.

Claire and I made a great team because she prefers to cook and I prefer to bake so we divided the tasks up. We raised just over £200 because some people who could not attend also generously donated. Our friends loved the evening and we only burnt the house down once when we forgot about the baklava in the oven!

If you have been inspired by Emilia and Claire's story and would like to do some fundraising for North London Cares, please let us know by filling out the form below and Emily will be in touch to chat through your ideas.