Charity Scrabble Tournament

Hi there,

this from the excellent Fiona Harrold's website:

"Fiona's friend Monica Garnsey tells us about a charity event to raise funds that will help rebuild a young boy's life.

On April 21st, at the Frontline Club, 9 Norfolk Place, Paddington, I'm having the latest of what has become an annual event, a charity party and scrabble tournament to raise money for Facing the World charity.

The parties are attended by lots of journalists as befits the Frontline, which is a members club for foreign correspondents, but also architects, telly people, bankers, fashion designers, entrepreneurs, all sorts.

You'd be surprised at the party people who adore Scrabble on the sly, and this is a chance for them to come clean about their obsession! There's room for all standards of players, from "I only play at Christmas" to life-long addicts.

Ali's Story

I'm a documentary maker and have made programmes for Channel 4 and the BBC in Iran, Iraq, Gaza, Russia, Bosnia, Thailand and Venezuala.

In 2003, just after the Allied Forces took over Iraq, I made a documentary film about two of the child casualties of the war, Ali Abbas (the little boy who lost his arms in a bomb attack, and is now living in the UK), and his hospital friend Ali Hussein, then 7, whose face was very badly hurt by a bombing attack that also killed many members of his family.

The documentary was called "The Tale of Two Alis", transmitted on Channel 4.

After the documentary, generous friends made it possible for the wonderful Facing the World charity, www.facingtheworld.net) which specialises in life-changing facial surgery for children, to give little Ali Hussein the new face he needed.

You can read a little about Ali's operation in 2004 here, on Facing the World's website.

Tickets for the tournament are £35, which goes straight to the charity, and available from me at monica.garnsey@gmail.com."

You can read more about this at fionaharrold.com or drop a line to Monica direct - monica.garnsey@gmail.com.

I'll be there and it looks like a fun evening - and for a worthwhile cause.