Ex-Tractor Boys winger Kieron Dyer is just one of the celebrities who will feature at the first annual Fresh Start New Beginnings afternoon tea.
The charity offers children who have been sexually abused a therapeutic service and is hoping to raise £5,000 at the event.
Kieron Dyer played for Ipswich Town from 1996 to 1999 and recently revealed in his autobiography that he had suffered abuse as a child. He said: “I am so pleased to be supporting Fresh Start New Beginnings and helping to highlight the work the charity does.
“Helping children to take away the feeling of shame and blame and help to rebuild their futures.”
The ex-international will be joined by Radio Suffolk’s Wayne Bavin and Maggie Oliver, an ex-police officer who helped expose the sex abuse ring in Rochdale.
Patsy Johnson-Cisse, the charity’s fundraising manager, said: “We are working with about 200 children at the moment but about 40 children are waiting for our service, if someone is exposed to sexual abuse their world is shattered.
“They shouldn’t have to wait for a service in an ideal world so we hope that can raise enough funds so that they no longer have to wait.”
The charity were also keen to connect with the Suffolk community and approached Shelley’s Kitchen at Suffolk College to do provide the catering for the high tea.
Suzanne Clark runs the 100-person restaurant and tutors students in catering, cookery and front-of-house work.
She said: “This is such a fantastic opportunity for our students to get directly involved with real life work and to support the charity using their skills.”
One student who is eager to make the most of this opportunity is 17-year-old aspiring head chef Daniel Powell.
He said: “I think this event is brilliant and it needs to be done more often, people who have been sexually abused don’t seem to get the help that they need.
“It will be interesting to serve Kieron Dyer, it will be an honour for him to taste our food, we are going to be putting a lot of effort into it so hopefully they enjoy it.”
The afternoon tea will run from 2.30pm-4.30pm on Friday October 12, at Greshams Ipswich in Tuddenham Road, tickets are £25 per person with tables of 10 available.
For more information visit the charity’s website.
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