Bella Italia in Gunwharf Quays raises £6,000 for charity
£6,228 — that’s how much Bella Italia Portsmouth, the Italian restaurant which opened in Gunwharf Quays on Wednesday 25th May, have raised for Dreams Come True.
Bella Italia teamed up with their national charity, Dreams Come True, to celebrate their launch through a day of family fun and fundraising, which included a team of 12 abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower.
Colin Wilding, General Manager at Gunwharf Quays, said: “The fundraising for Dreams Come True has been a brilliant way to launch our new restaurant, Bella Italia.
“The team and customers have raised a fantastic total for the worthy cause, and it’s great to see that the new restaurant has already been fully embraced by our visitors, no doubt setting the stage for what will become a family favourite at Gunwharf Quays.”
Before the restaurant’s launch, Bella Italia Portsmouth hosted a series of dry runs where customers got to try their own taste of Italy through the dishes on the delicious new menu.
Money from drinks and some menu items during these dry runs was added to the total funds raised by the abseiling team, and presented to Jo Sorg (Corporate Fundraiser) and Peter Newman (Chief Executive for Dreams Come True).
Two families, the children of which previously had their dreams fulfilled by the charity, attended on the day to assist with the presentation.
Peter Newman said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen by Bella Italia as their charity partner. They will be raising funds to fulfil the treasured dreams of really special children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions from across the UK.
“The creativity and energy of the team at Bella Italia will bring the power of dreams into the lives not just of the children but their families and friends, as well and we look forward to building a great relationship with them.”
The day of family fun also included appearances by animated characters, a raffle, and a performance by international YouTube star Sapphire, singing covers of songs by popular artists.