Saleh Bin Lahej Group donates AED135,874 for Dubai Center for Special Needs
Mohammed Saleh Bin Lahej, Group CEO of Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division presents cheque worth AED135,874 from “Dine for a Cause” campaign last Ramadan and signs up an Annual Agreement with Dr. Mahshid Salehi, the director of Dubai Center for Special Needs with a commitment to support Children with Special Needs through various fund raising programs.
Saleh Bin Lahej Group – Hospitality Division (SBLG-HD) had collected AED271,748 from its “Dine for a Cause” campaign on the 15th day of Ramadan 2013, which was planned to be donated between two (2) selected charities to support children with special needs.
On February 13, Mohammed Saleh Bin Lahej, Group CEO of Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division presented a cheque of AED135,874.00 to the Dubai Center for Special Needs (DCSN). He also signed an Annual Agreement (also called Memorandum of Understanding or MOU) which outlines further aid commitments through various fund raising activities with Dr. Mahshid Salehi, Director of DCSN.
According to the agreement, Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division will raise funds for Dubai Center for Special Needs through store activation during the entire holy month of Ramadan along with its PR and marketing campaign. This will be in addition to sponsoring fundraising activities throughout the year.
On the 15th day of Ramadan in the year 2014, Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division shall donate 100 percent of its Profits for One (1) Day to charity. The activity will be supported by a “Dine for a Cause” campaign across all its 31 UAE-based restaurants, which include Chilli’s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, El Chico, Cantina Laredo, Black Canyon and The Pizza Company, inviting all its patrons to Dine for a Cause on this special day. The campaign will be supported by Restaurant Staff Members wearing a chest pin to invite their loyal patrons to dine with them.
The Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division volunteer program will provide its employees an opportunity to contribute their time to the Centre and interact with the students under the guidance and supervision of the Dubai Center for Special Needs staff.
Saleh Bin Lahej Group – Hospitality Division believes in Corporate Social Responsibility as a duty of its growth. This important fiber of social and moral commitment towards the society is a reflection and product of its Group CEO, Mohammed Saleh Bin Lahej.
“Through such activities, we aim to embrace responsibility for our company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through our activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders,” said Mohammed Saleh Bin Lahej, commenting on the partnership. “Our hospitality doesn’t just end on serving our guests,” he added.
Dubai Center for Special Needs’ Director, Dr.Mahshid Salehi, said, “We are very pleased and deeply grateful for the donation raised for us through Saleh Bin Lahej Group Hospitality’s Ramadan campaign. As a not for profit organization we do rely on the kind hearts of the local community to offer their support in any way they can. We recognize and sincerely appreciate the effort that has gone into raising these funds on behalf of the Center and looking forward to starting a solid partnership with Saleh Bin Lahej Group.”
About Saleh Bin Lahej Group – Hospitality Division:
Today, Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division holds the franchises of major U.S. based culinary brands such as Chili’s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, El Chico, Cantina Laredo, Silver Fox, III Forks, Steak n’ Shake with Asian-based brands namely Black Canyon and The Pizza Company. Saleh Bin Lahej Group-Hospitality Division has been operating Casual Dining Restaurant Brands from its humble beginning in 1997. Today, the Group has grown 48 branches across the Middle East, while nurturing more than 1,700+ employees
About DCSN:
The Dubai Center for Special Needs is an established, non-profitable institution that provides the highest standards of service in specialized education and therapy, for children with various disabilities. It is a caring environment, largely dependent on the generosity of the local communities and corporations. It aims to provide each and every one of its students the key to a positive life, thereby “Lighting the path to a brighter future”.
There are 136 students at the center of which 55 percent are UAE nationals. The students are aged between 3 years and 27 years and the centre aims to give each and every one of the students the best quality of life of which they are able physically, emotionally, socially and academically.
When they have finished their academic education, DCSN concentrates on prevocational training by taking them to various organizations within Dubai for work experience and helps them to gain employment within the community and to take their rightful place in this world which is their moral right.
More info:
Rana El Naggar
PR & Event Manager
Saleh Bin Lahej Group – Hospitality Division
Ph 971 4 282 8188
Cell 971 50 6708092
rana.mohamed@eiruae.ae
UOWD hosts students from Dubai Centre for Special Needs
University students raise funds for the Centre
Dubai, February 2, 2014: University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) hosted children from Dubai Centre for Special Needs at its campus in Dubai Knowledge Village on January 27, as part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities.
Over 35 special needs students from the Centre, along with some teachers and care givers, attended the program and enjoyed the entertainment put up by the UOWD students. A large number of students, staff and faculty members joined in the activities and mingled with the special needs students, some of whom were on wheelchairs.
Student volunteers conducted games, dance performances and interactive shows to entertain the visiting children.
In a welcome address, Brett Lovegrove, Director of Administration & Strategy, UOWD, said the University was pleased to host the program as an effort to show solidarity with the special needs community and as demonstration of its commitment to their rehabilitation. He said UOWD would continue to organize such events on a regular basis.
He presented a cheque of AED 6,000 to Shushil Mitchell, Public Relations, Dubai Centre for Special Needs, as a contribution from the UOWD students to the welfare of the special needs students.
Ghinwa live in Dubai for the first time
13th January 2014: As part of Dubai Center for Special Needs’ latest fundraising drive, Ghinwa, a very well known children’s show in Lebanon, is coming to perform in Dubai for the first time ever.
The show which has been running for over fourteen years in Lebanon remains to be the most popular show for children of all ages from the very young to 10 years plus.
The performances will be in French and English which means it can be enjoyed by children and their families from all backgrounds.
Ghinwa is the main character within all the performances, whose adventures are fun, eventful and informative, while simultaneously conveying a moral and ethical message. The event aims to help promote awareness and raise vital funds to support the students of DCSN.
Tickets are currently for sale and can be purchased from the Dubai Center for Special Needs. There will be three shows performed at the Dubai Center for Special Needs’ auditorium over the weekend of the 7 and 8th February. With the show lasting for an hour, children will not be disappointed by the musical which promises to be fun, colorful, entertaining, and interactive.
“As a not for profit organization we are continuously looking for creative ways in which to fundraise and spread the word within the community. We wanted to offer an alternative form of entertainment to attract a more diverse audience. We are expecting a strong turn out as tickets are selling fast.” Said, Dr. Salehi, Director at Dubai Center for Special Needs.
“We are delighted to come to Dubai to meet and spend time with our fans. Not only are we excited to showcase Ghinwa, we feel honored in supporting a charity which is very close to our hearts. Performing Ghinwa at the Dubai Center for Special Needs promises to be an extraordinary event over three shows. We look forward to coming to Dubai for the first time and entertaining our fans!” said, Jean Sadek, Artistic Director of the Ghinwa Theatre.
DUBAI CENTER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS WELCOMES THE PUBLIC FOR OPEN DAY
Contact: Sushil Mitchell, PR Coordinator
+971 4 3440966, pr2@dcsneeds.com
Dubai, 21st November 2013
Dubai Center for Special Needs (DCSN) is organizing an Open Day inviting the local community including businesses to come and get an insight to the Center on 21st November 2013. The purpose of the day is primarily to raise awareness of DCSN and for people to get a real experience of the work that is carried out by the students and the staff. Open Day is a valuable opportunity for individuals and companies who want to instigate CSR activities and contribute to society.
During our Open Day on Thursday November 21, 2013 the public will get to see the students at work in their classrooms and a specially rehearsed choir. An exhibition of unique items made by DCSN students including, mosaic art, decorative items, paintings, and jewelry will also be on sale in the beautiful gardens that surround the Center. There will also be tents on the in the gardens where refreshments including drinks and fresh bakery foods will be for sale. Open day is an excellent opportunity for the local community to witness a day in the life of the students and to interact with each other.
As a charitable non-profit organization DCSN is fully dependent on the UAE community for support and any funds raised from the proceeds from the sale will go directly to the students. DCSN is a charitable organization dedicated to serving the needs of individuals with special needs of all ages. DCSN has 135 special needs’ students receiving specialized and individual academic instruction, therapies, and a variety of life enhancing activities in order to bring purpose and value into their lives.
For more information about our Annual Open Day or DCSN, please contact pr2@dcsneeds.com
MEDICLINIC MIDDLE EAST RAISES AED 30,000 FOR DUBAI CENTER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS IN FACEBOOK CAMPAIGN
Dubai, 10 October 2013 – Mediclinic Middle East today presented a cheque for AED 30,000 to Dubai Center for Special Needs, a charitable non-profit organisation that supplies specialist education and therapy for children with various disabilities. The money was raised during a Ramadan Facebook campaign across pages run by Mediclinic Middle East in which the company pledged money for every new like it received on its pages.
Maya Choueiri, PR coordinator for Dubai Center for Special Needs said, “The center depends on support from individuals and organisations in terms of donation of funds, equipment and services, help with fundraising activities, volunteers in the classroom and sponsorship of student. The money raised by Mediclinic Middle East will help us to improve facilities at the school.”
Vanessa Batten, Senior Communications Officer at Mediclinic Middle East, said, ‘As a healthcare organisation, Mediclinic Middle East is committed to the welfare of children and we are delighted to be able play a small part in raising funds for such a worthy cause. Dubai Center for Special Needs is a special place for special people and it is important that the community supports charities such as this which provide education and care to those who need it most.”
Notes to the editor:
About Mediclinic Middle East
Mediclinic Middle East is the largest private healthcare group in Dubai with two hospitals and eight operational clinics which include: Mediclinic City Hospital, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Mediclinic Dubai Mall, Mediclinic Arabian Ranches, Mediclinic Meadows, Mediclinic Al Sufouh, Mediclinic Beach Road, Mediclinic Ibn Battuta, Mediclinic Al Qusais and Mediclinic Mirdif.
Mediclinic Middle East is part of Mediclinic International, one of the ten largest private hospital groups in the world with 52 healthcare facilities in Southern Africa, 14 in Switzerland and 10 in the UAE.
For further information about Mediclinic Middle East and its facilities visit www.mediclinic.ae.
Contact:
Arun Avamil
Mediclinic Middle East
Tel: + 97144495285
Email:marketing@mediclinic.ae
Maya Choueiri
PR Coordinator
Dubai Center for Special Needs
Tel: +97143440966
Email:pr@dcsneeds.com
Dubai Center for Special Needs students paints construction site to life
DCSN paints lively mural as part of CSR initiative
Embargoed until 30th May 2013
Dubai, 30th May 2013 – Dubai Center for Special Needs has partnered with AMBB Construction Company for a creative painting project. AMBB tasked DCSN to paint the hoarding boards which masks a construction site belonging to Prakash Trading. The students from DCSN have got together and painted a colorful mural over 30 boards which are each over 2 meters high and over a meter wide.
The aim of the AMBB initiative was two-fold in that it provided the students a unique opportunity to utilize their creative talents and on completion a sum of money will be donated to help with running costs of the center and student fees. Being a not-for-profit organization, DCSN is eager to raise awareness of the center within the local community including businesses so that they may help support the cause in the future.
Having had the support of AMBB for many years this is the first ever project of this kind where the students have painted a mural over an area measuring 2.5 meters high by 40 meters wide. The bright art work will be visible from the Sheikh Zayed road and it is hoped that this project will bring more awareness of the center. In total the project has taken a month for the students to complete and the theme has been ‘Dubai and Food’. The new construction project owned by Dilip Karani is going to be turned into a retail and food outlet so the students have painted a Dubai Skyline with lots of colorful food treats.
Dr Mahshid Salehi, Director at Dubai Center for Special Needs said, “Our students at DCSN are known for their creativity. AMBB have recognized this talent and we have been given an amazing opportunity to produce something bright and cheerful which will no doubt attract attention. Not only are they donating money for our paint work but through projects like this we also raise the awareness of DCSN which is vital as we consistently need support in the form of donations from the community.”
Andrew Wick, Group Managing Partner of AMBB, also expressed his delight in this initiative, “The idea to commission artwork from Dubai Centre for Special Needs for this site first came from our sponsor, Abdulla Al Mazrouei, and we thought it was a great opportunity for the children to undertake such a large-scale art project whilst also exercising AMBB’s corporate social responsibility to the Dubai community.”
ENDS
About Dubai Center for Special Needs
DCSN is an established, not for profit institution that provides high standards of services in specialized education and therapy, for children with various disabilities. Its aim is to provide its students with the resources to live a positive life, thereby lighting the path to a brighter future.
Media Contacts
Dubai Center for Special Needs
Sushil Mitchell
pr2@dcsneeds.com
04-344 0966
Families in Dubai are invited to Family Fun Fair to raise funds for children at the Dubai Center for Special Needs
Dubai, 22 April, 2013: Hundreds of people are expected to attend the Family Fun Fair at the Dubai Center for Special Needs (DCSN) this Friday 26 April, to enjoy games, rides and bazaars and raise vital funds for the center.
The fundraising event will be held at the Center, located next to the Gulf News building in Dubai on Street 45, between 2pm and 6pm on Friday. Entrance is free and booklets of coupons can be paid for and redeemed on the rides and stalls with all proceeds going to support the education and services the non-profit charity offers to children with special needs.
“Having recently celebrated our 35 year anniversary we wanted to create an event open to the whole community where they can have a fun afternoon with their family enjoying lots of games and activities. All proceeds from Family Fun Fair will go towards the Centre’s running costs, and towards student sponsorship,” said Dr Mahshid Salehi, Director of Dubai Center for Special Needs.
Fonterra, the world’s leading milk processor and exporter of dairy ingredients, is jointly supporting the Family Fun Fair as part of its ongoing partnership with DSCN.
“We are partnering with Fonterra who has been a great support to our cause. It is very reassuring to know that there are companies out there who want to help and give to organizations such as ours,” added Dr Mahshid Salehi from DCSN.
Kamal Gupta, Fonterra’s Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa said, “We are in a privileged position to see first-hand the remarkable work undertaken at the Center and the support they offer to the children and their families. The Family Fun Fair is an important way the community can recognise this effort and support the charity’s long-term future.”
Dr Mahshid Salehi added, “The Dubai Center for Special Needs and Fonterra Family Fun Fair is open to everyone who would like to enjoy a memorable day of entertainment and amusement while helping the Centre meet its fundraising goals.”
DCSN is an established, not for profit institution that provides high standards of services in specialized education and therapy, for children with various disabilities. Its aim is to provide students with the resources to live a positive life. Currently the Centre accommodates 136 children with special needs who have various physical and cognitive challenges.
ENDS
For further information about the DCSN please contact:
Sushil Mitchell
Pr2@dcsneeds.com
00 971 4 344 0966
For further information about Fonterra please contact:
Emma Jones
ASDA’A Burson Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 9714 450 7600
emma.jones@bm.com
Notes to Editors
About the Dubai Center for Special Needs
The Dubai Center for Special Needs is a non-profit charity organisation dedicated to providing special education, multi-disciplinary therapeutic intervention and vocational training to individuals with disabilities since the early 1980s. Over the years, the center received immense support and encouragement from H.H The Late Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as well as H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Vice President of the U.A.E, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the center has become a lifeline for hundreds of children and their families in the UAE.
About Fonterra
Fonterra is a global leader in dairy nutrition – the preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world’s leading food companies. Fonterra is also a market leader with our own consumer dairy brands in Australia/New Zealand, Asia/Africa, Middle East and Latin America.
The farmer-owned New Zealand co-operative is the largest processor of milk in the world, producing more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients and consumer products every year. Drawing on generations of dairy expertise, Fonterra is one of the largest investors in dairy based research and innovation in the world. Our 16,000 staff work across the dairy spectrum from advising farmers on sustainable farming and milk production, to ensuring we live up to exacting quality standards and delivering every day on our customer promise in more than 100 markets around the world.
Fonterra has spent more than US$50 million in the last decade to better understand osteoporosis and has also recently renewed its partnership with the International Osteoporosis Foundation. As its Regional Nutrition Sponsor, Fonterra will be continuing to work closely with IOF in the Middle East to raise awareness and increase education around the disease.
Dubai Center for Special Needs marks 35 years at Annual Concert
Dubai Center for Special Needs, Dubai, UAE
For immediate release
Dubai, 18th April 2013 – Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Center for Special Needs (DCSN)hosted their Annual Concert entitled “The Journey”.
The audience discovered the history of DCSN and got an insight of what the journey of the Center has been over the last 35 years…
The annual concert is a celebration of the students’ achievements and a commemoration of their hard work. Throughout the performance, the audience learned of the history of DCSN, gaining insight in to the journey of the Center since it first opened in 1978. ‘The Journey’ took guests back to when the Center could only facilitate a handful of students. Featuring the talents of the students, the event showcased their passion for performing arts through singing, dancing and acting. DCSN’s annual concert continuously provides an outlet for the students which allows them to utilize their artistic skills. During this year’s concert, the audience learned about the success stories of certain students and got a real feel for what the students can achieve through being at the Center.
Attending with HRH Princess Haya wasMohamed Al Noori, Director of Corporate Marketing and Relations from Dubai Municipality, Tayeb Abdulrahman Al Rais, Secretary General from AWQAF & Minors Affairs Foundation (Government of Dubai), Mr. Esam Khoori, Director Procurement Contacts & Material Management from DP World and Mohammed Al-Zarouni, Director General of the Red Crescent.
DCSN Director, Dr. Mahshid Salehi added that, “We are so proud of the kindness and willingness of the community who support us in our cause, which is to provide a holistic service to students with special needs in order to help them realize their potential. The event has only been made possible through the generous support of our sponsors who continuously help the Center via their donations.”
Over the years, DCSN has continued to grow from its initial guiding principles and vision. Now there are 136 students at the Center including 65% of UAE Nationals, who are between 4 and 27 years old. This year the concert was sponsored by AMBB Interiors, Madinat Jumeirah, Contempo, G4 Securicor, Gemini and Studio Ballerina.
About Dubai Center for Special Needs
DCSN is an established, not for profit institution that provides high standards of services in specialized education and therapy, for children with various disabilities. Its aim is to provide its students with the resources to live a positive life, thereby lighting the path to a brighter future.
Media Contacts
Dubai Center for Special Needs
Sushil Mitchell/Joanna Abou Jaoude pr2@dcsneeds.co/pr@dcsneeds.com
P. O. Box 24921 Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 344 0966
www.dcsneeds.ae
Nicolas Trabucco
Al Amal Marketing Consultants
n.trabucco@belhasa.ae
+971 050 357 1281
P.O. Box 1286, Dubai, UAE
