A TAVISTOCK restaurant will next week be staging a special lunch and dinner to raise funds for the Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal. On Monday December 10, from noon until 10pm The Ganges in West Street will serve a buffet lunch/dinner at £12 per head, of which £9 will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee?s special fund for victims of the recent cyclone. The price will include a starter and main course, with options suitable for vegetarians. Ganges owner Shahadath Chowdhury said the restaurant itself would donate much of the food and all the staff were giving their time free. He said he was grateful to friends and colleagues from other restaurants who will help cook, serve and clean up after. The recent cyclone caused tens of thousands of deaths in the low-lying coastal area of South West Bangladesh, made many more homeless, and lost countless people their crops and livelihoods. Mr Chowdhury said he and his staff had been overwhelmed by kind enquiries from friends and customers, asking if their families have been injured or affected. In fact, like the majority of people of Bangladeshi origin in Britain, the families of everyone at the Ganges come from the area around the capital Dacca, and the Sylhet district in the north-eastern part of the country ? at least 300 miles from the affected area. Fortunately, they are all safe. It is not the first time the Ganges has responded to a natural disaster. In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, the management and staff organized a similar all-day buffet, which raised nearly £2,000. Mr Chowdhury and his men are hoping to exceed that total this time. He said: ?It?s a great opportunity to enjoy ourselves, while offering a life-changing chance to people infinitely worse off than anyone we know in the UK. The money we happily spend on lunch here, could help re-build a family?s life there.? Regular customer Brian Fyfield-Shayler said: ?The Ganges isn?t normally open at lunch time, so this is a rare chance for people who work in Tavistock to have an Indian lunch and at the same time contribute to an extremely worthwhile humanitarian cause just before Christmas. ?We know of several offices where the staff plan to come along together, for lunch or after work. The meal will also appeal to shoppers, and those looking for a different evening out.? Reservations are not necessary for this special event. The usual evening take-away service will not be affected. For further information, ring Mr Chowdhury on 01822 616731.
