21 April 2006

More than 250 representatives of Aberdeen’s business community gathered together in the name of charity at a dinner to raise funds for the Meningitis Trust, held in the city’s Queen’s Hotel yesterday evening (20 April).

Hosted by J & E Shepherd, one of Scotland’s leading firms of chartered surveyors with a presence in Aberdeen for the last 33 years, the dinner raised £27,000 for the charity which will go toward its work in raising awareness of the disease, medical research, and providing a range of palliative services.

Guests were entertained by Berni Flint, winner of 12 successive shows of ‘Opportunity Knocks’ back in 1977. Master of Ceremonies was Willie Allan, well-known Fife school teacher, sportsman and raconteur.

Chris Grinyer, Managing Partner with Shepherd in Aberdeen, said: “It was great to see so many of the city’s business community come out in force to support this worthwhile cause.”

In a bid to raise further funds for the Meningitis Trust, Shepherd is also sponsoring the Shepherd Ocean Fours Rowing Race 2006 in which crews of four will cross the North Atlantic. The race starts in New York on 10 June and finishes in Falmouth, Cornwall after 3100 nautical miles and around 65 days of rowing across some of the world’s most treacherous and unpredictable seas.