South Downs students showcased their talents at a charity gala hosted by lecturer and published author Nadia Arab, raising funds for clean water pumps while celebrating community, culture and Portsmouth. Held at the Spinnaker Tower to celebrate Nadia’s book The Road from Karachi, the evening put South Downs talent at the core of the event. Guests enjoyed live music and dance performances by students, alongside canapés created with the help of the college’s catering team.
The Road from Karachi was originally written by Nadia’s parents in 1987, with copies of the original cookbook becoming impossible to find. Nadia then unexpectedly discovered a surviving copy at the South Downs campus. With the help of BBC’s The Repair Shop, the original book was restored and Nadia spent four-and-a-half years bringing The Road from Karachi back to life.
Chris Shaw from BBC’s Repair Shop spoke about his experience restoring the original cookbook, describing the Road from Karachi as being about “community and sharing people’s culture through food” before explaining how proud he was to be a part of it.
South Downs students were at the heart of the evening, with dance students taking to the floor for an incredible Bollywood performance that showcased their talent. Music students Ella Roche and Lilly Denyer also took centre stage, performing individual sets featuring their own original music. The performances gave students the opportunity to share their talents with an audience of guests at the iconic Spinnaker Tower, celebrating the hard work and creativity of South Down’s young performers.
The event also formed part of the wider Portsmouth 100 celebrations, with Portsmouth mascot Nelson joining in festivities. Nadia explained the aim was to bring people from across the city together while raising money to provide clean water pumps.
Nadia told guests “we want to make Portsmouth shine. It’s all about joining Portsmouth together” adding that the event was about “raising money for clean water in the name of Portsmouth.”
Also speaking at the event, HSDC College Group’s Principal Kurt Hintz praised Nadia and highlighted the important role students can play within their local community.
“The thing that makes colleges really special are the people. She’s absolutely an inspiration and a role model for students.”
The event was a huge success, raising £2,500, enough for seven water pumps to be installed in the name of Portsmouth and all the sponsored, with all attendees initials being featured on the pumps.