JADE JAGGER On rocks and rock’n’roll

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charity
Teenage kicks
MINT LEAF RESTAURANT in Haymarket recently
hosted a tasting evening for 20 supporters of Teens
Unite, a charity that helps teenagers aged 13-24
with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. The
restaurant has been working in close partnership
with the charity over the past five years, hosting
many special evenings.
Guests at the event were treated to a
champagne reception followed by a specially
created six-course tasting menu, with
accompanying wines supplied by Enotria World
Wine. Highlights of the menu included pickleflavoured
guinea fowl with cucumber raita, spiced
chicken with pineapple chutney and lamb with fresh
fenugreek, crisp rice pancake and grilled broccoli.
Teens Unite were joined on the night by Ben
Wilson, a teenager who has benefited from being a
member of the charity for three years. After dinner,
Ben spoke about his involvement. He said: “From
going to exclusive gigs, a fair few Arsenal matches
and one very memorable helicopter ride, I began to
realize that there could be more to life with cancer
than just sitting in hospital beds and waiting for test
results. I know it would have been a much harder
three years than it has been without Teens Unite’s
love, help and support.”
The evening raised £10,000, which Teens Unite
plans to spend on respite weekends for teens at the
newly opened Teens Unite Respite Home in
Hertfordshire.
MINT LEAF RESTAURANT IN
HAYMARKET WAS THE SETTING FOR
A GLAMOROUS EVENING IN AID OF
TEENS UNITE – A CHARITY THAT
BRINGS ADVENTURE AND
EXCITEMENT INTO THE LIVES OF
TEENAGERS LIVING WITH CANCER
ABOVE LEFT: PAUL NEWRICK, KAREN MILLEN OF
TEENS UNITE, ERIC LANLARD, AND BEN WILSON
ABOVE: GUESTS WERE TREATED TO A SIX-COURSE
TASTING MENU
BELOW: MINT LEAF MANAGER GERARD MCCANN,
RAJINDER PANDY, CHEF AT MINT LEAF, DEBBIE PEZZANI
OF TEENS UNITE AND THOMAS BRICOUT OF ENOTRIA
Add Diversity to your workout
FITNESS FIRST has launched Diversity Street
Dance, an exercise class created by
internationally acclaimed street-dance troupe
and Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity,
choreographed by the group’s leader and Got to
Dance judge Ashley Banjo.
The all-body workout fuses energetic streetdance
moves with traditional fitness, taking
members through a high-powered set against a
soundtrack of fun, fast-tempo music.
Designed to suit all ability levels, Diversity
Street Dance comprises a series of three
routines, which are taught in
sessions. Combining cardio, strength,
conditioning, balance and flexibility with
Diversity’s street-dance moves, each routine is
set to a different genre of music, ranging from
house to dubstep to breaking, with
corresponding soundtracks.
The Diversity Street Dance class is on offer
at Fitness First in Berkeley Square, 59 Kingly
Street and 15 Great Marlborough Street.
For further information, visit
www.fitnessfirst.co.uk.
Stay in the Loop with Zumba
ELAINE LAWRIE was senior events manager for a City bank for 11 years before
deciding to leave and set up her own fitness company, Lainie Lawrie. The
inspiration came when she heard a talk by a speaker called Jim Lawless.
“He spoke about how you should act boldly to make things happen in your
life,” she says. “The talk was on the Friday and I handed in my notice on
Monday. I could not sleep all weekend, as I had this niggling feeling that I had
not been feeling so happy at my desk and always had a passion for dance.”
Elaine had started Zumba classes a few months earlier and, after observing
the teacher, decided she could do it herself.
“I loved it so much, because it was finally something where I knew I was
exercising hard and burning calories, but having fun – and it wasn’t repetitive,”
she says.
She has now set up classes at Loop Bar at 19 Dering Street, as well as in
the City, primarily targeting professionals or workers who don’t necessarily want
to have a gym membership or be tied to a contract.
“I looked at Zumba classes in the area, and the majority are held at a gym,”
she says. “The classes are pay as you go, and at accessible times. I keep the
music current, so people can sing along, and the dances are easy to pick up.
“You burn 600 calories if not more. The most important thing is the fun I
have teaching and the fun for the participants – I think that’s the key to its
success.”
Elaine’s hour-long Zumba classes cost £7 and take place every Monday at
Loop at 5.45pm and 7pm. For more information, see www.laineylawrie.co.uk.
HEALTH & BEAUTY: Selma Day selma@pubbiz.com
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health & beauty