Jewish charity having to ‘reinvent the annual dinner’

Jewish charity Langdon said it was having to “reinvent the annual charity dinner” on Monday as supporters swapped seating at swanky venues for dial-in codes and digital attendance.

The event led to more than 150 people logging into a unique password-protected microsite to watch short films and hear virtual addresses, as comedian Ivor Baddiel hosted viewers at home.

The charity helps young Jewish adults with learning disabilities and Autism to live independently, which has proved particularly tricky during lockdown.

One of the highlights of the evening was a sequence featuring Langdon member Mark Butcher, aka DJ Butch, who has built up a following amongst his friends for broadcasting music on Facebook using his Amazon Alexa device.

The audience saw him surprised with a socially-distanced visit from a real superstar DJ to teach him how to professionally spin the decks and mix tracks.

As other Langdon members told how they had learned to play the guitar during lockdown, or learned to sign, charity bosses said their latest ‘Langdon On Air’ campaign had raised almost £110,000.

“The last year has been hugely challenging financially,” said fundraising director Sara Pollins. “The incredible outpouring of support from the community for all our fundraising initiatives over the last seven months has been vital.”