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So it’s now August and I am currently sitting at home listening to some funky African music, feeling very excited about the Fashion Bites Back event, which will take place on Saturday the 8^th of October at Northern Ballet. The JCI Leeds Community event planning team are having so much fun organising this charity project and I am pleased to report that plans are going very well. There has been a huge interest in the event and we are already close to selling out of the VIP tickets.

I don’t really know where to start with this update as so much has happened since I last wrote about the event, but firstly we are delighted to announce that Gavin Mintus has agreed to present Fashion Bites Back, Gavin currently works for the BBC and has a whole host of presenting experience. We are also very excited that Gwenny Rose Robson will be opening the show with a contemporary dance performance, which will be inspired by African rhythms. In addition, we have recently welcomed Penny Wood to the team. Penny is an incredibly talented and experienced choreographer and will be using her expertise to help the models perfect their walk on the catwalk.

The designers are now at the stage where they have been working on their garments for a number of months and we are all so excited about seeing the finished collections. In particular, while visiting Bozena Carter’s shop at Bird’s Yard in Leeds last week, I was lucky to get a glimpse of a netted garment that she is making for the event. I am not going to spoil the surprise by telling you more about the garment, but I will say that it is stunning and you won’t want to miss out on seeing these incredible designs. Make sure you join us on the night to experience our designer’s ideas, sketches and fabrics come to life in these beautiful creative garments.

All profits from the event will go towards the United Nations Foundations Nothing But Nets campaign, which helps to protect families in Africa from malaria through the distribution of bed nets. So by attending this event you will be supporting a very important cause and helping to save lives.

To book your ticket for the event just visit the Northern Ballet website at http://northernballet.com/boxoffice/booknow3a.aspx?PerfID=153. We will look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be a night of fantastic entertainment.

See you there!

Georgie x

Georgina Abbott

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Fashion Bites Back!

This year JCI Leeds is continuing to support the United Nation Foundation’s Nothing But Nets malaria campaign.

On Saturday the 8^th of October JCI Leeds will host Fashion Bites Back, a charity fashion show that will raise awareness and funs to help eradicate malaria by sending bet nets to Africa. We have a fantastic community team working on this project and I thought I would update you on some of our progress and successes so far………

Last Saturday the community team interviewed a number of fashion designers who are interested in showcasing their designs at the show. We were all blown away by their talent and creativity and can’t wait to see the designs on the catwalk. The designers will be showcasing a collection of garments that will be modelled with African style make-up and they will also be creating a netted garment, which will fit perfectly with the theme of the event.

We will be hosting a model casting day on the 30^th of June. If you are interested in modelling at Fashion Bites Back or you would like more details about this, please contact Janita at janitakajese@googlemail.com, our model casting manager.

We will also be holding a raffle on the night and we have already secured some amazing prizes, including a little black dress donated by French Connection UK, and ESPA body massage courtesy of the Academy Spa in Harrogate and £100 of vouchers to spend in NEXT. Stay tuned for more exciting prizes to follow.

Our website will be going live shortly and if you would like to register your interest please visit http://fashionbitesback.com/

I will look forward to writing again soon with more of our community news.

Georgie x

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Members of JCI (Junior Chamber International) Leeds have posed for charity calendar to raise funds for Nothing But Nets, a global, grass roots campaign to raise awareness and funding to combat malaria.

At the moment, every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from a malarial infection. You can help to improve this statistic and reduce the amount of suffering that African families face.

For just $10, a family of four can sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net, safe from malaria, for four to five years. The insecticide kills and repels mosquitoes so that they can’t move on to infect other people either, providing protection to whole communities. Nets are a simple, life-saving solution.

By buying a calendar for just £10, you can do something incredible. You can save lives.

Background

In 2008, Junior Chamber International (JCI) established JCI Nothing But Nets in partnership with the United Nations Foundation to provide JCI members the opportunity to take action against malaria through education and fund raising in their communities.

JCI members around the world have committed to raise funds to donate one million nets by 2015. This is just one of many projects around the world that will help achieve this objective.

Do something incredible today. Buy a calendar. Save a life.

Find out more about Nothing But Nets.

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