Charity to host huge fundraising concert

The Family Centre is throwing a big beach ­concert to help raise the funds it needs to meet ­increased ­demands.

A stream of local acts will perform at the Fairmont Southampton’s Ocean Club Beach on September 24 from 7pm to 12am. The $200 tickets include a ­complimentary drinks ­reception and wine with dinner in a bonfire setting.

There will be performances by Ed Christopher, Joy Barnum, Tony Bari, Tony Brennan, Andrew Chamberlaine, Tony Cox, Cleve Astwood, Bones Band and The Kennel Boys, ­Preston Swan, Dennis ­Moniz, Lamont Robinson, Ronnie Lopes and The ­Secrets, Derek Dyer, Sia Spence, Bermuda School of Music and Mia Chambray.

The Family Centre is an internationally accredited local charity established in 1995. It provides intervention services to children who have suffered abuse, neglect and other emotional problems. It runs ­programmes and prevention initiatives to arm ­families with the skills to raise children into ­society while addressing the ­concerns of other ­support networks such as teachers. 

Demand for the Family Centre’s services in Bermuda has ­increased twofold over the past two years and the team of 19 staff are dealing with some 300 ­families each year. 

Director of development at the centre Peter Carey said that the charity is ­‘juggling’ a waiting list of some 30 families and will have to turn away people who are desperately in need of their help. 

It is hoped the Beach Bash will go some way to helping to fund the charity, not least to enable it to ­increase staff levels.

A concert promoter with experience of organizing international concerts is on hand to help the Family Centre organize the event.

Mr. Carey said: “Concerts are a great way of raising money — traditionally ­people do them in an expensive way but we are trying to find a happy medium. Rather than bringing in a big foreign act we are using all Bermuda talent. That helps us to keep the cost down.

“There a need to build our community and given that we are a community building organization it just makes sense to use ­local ­talent.”

Testing times

He added: “Once upon a time we always saw 100 families and for it to now be pushing 300 is really testing us. Having enough staff and resources to go around is a big deal.

“Kids need a lot of social support to be successful at school. We really have to help their development. As well as families’ demands, the demands of principals and teachers and schools for Family Centre help and support is growing too.

“We believe that that’s the real answer to things like community violence — we need to organize ­families better so that ­people can have the relationships that make their lives meaningful so they are not so quick to throw them away on crime and things that are so corrosive to them personally but also to everyone around them. “It is all about staffing and staff skill which means we have to have very capable, reputable people delivering these services and we need enough of them — we can’t have people cutting corners and get people who don’t have the skill.”

The Family Centre has 19 staff members a couple of whom are part time. Many of them are clinicians, some of them are also support staff who do other community work projects but the centre really needs to expand on its counselling staff.

“We will survive if we don’t but we will see fewer people.”

Mr. Carey said the tickets needed to be $200 to make the event worth doing.

“If you go cheaper than that, it becomes a friend raiser and not a fund raiser.” He said. He pointed out that a lot of the companies buy full tables and may send members of their staff who wouldn’t be able to ­afford it.

Originally the Family Centre used to throw a black tie event which was popular. The aim of choosing this type of event was to keep the ticket price  more reasonable.

“The evening should be fun and less formal,” said Mr. Carey. “It’s on the beach with plenty of good acts and even a place you can check your shoes when you get there so that you can feel like you are at a beach party.” 

To book a ticket or a full table call: 292-9741 ext. 108 or 232-1116 or e-mail [email protected]