By Moyra Smith
You may remember Simon Toohey’s face from last year’s Masterchef series, fighting off tough competition to reach the final three.
This year, in amongst his many travel and filming commitments, he has teamed up with The SHIFT Project’s International Women’s Day lunch event, on 6 March at Elements, to be one of their fabulous ‘experience’ auction prizes.
The lucky winners will have a unique dining experience, for 6–8 people, brought to their home by Simon, who will be their personal chef for dinner or lunch. This unique experience will be on auction during the lunch, and is worth over $5000.
Simon has an absolute love of food. His ethos lies within the ‘plant-based diet’ and using the whole of food items – with spectacular results!
He is a spokesperson for reducing food consumption’s contributions to climate change. He advocates for a no-plastic world, for food sustainability, and he aims to make his voice – and those of pre-established food-sovereignty initiatives and businesses around him – heard, when it comes to establishing a positive environment through food choices.
Simon says, ‘Being part of this movement is liberating, and focusing on the positives will make the world just as beautiful for our kids as it has been for us! There are amazing people out there doing amazing thing for the future. I remember reading a quote from Anne-Marie, at Zero Waste Chef about improving the world. She said: “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” This to me is the perfect start to what will be a bright future. Not only for us, but for the land and sea we live on.
‘We have one chance in this world, and I want mine to have an impact. I want to change the world through what I love – food.’
Anne Goslett, founder of the SHIFT Project commented, ‘We are so excited and appreciative of Simon Toohey supporting our work with his amazing culinary talents. Just as he is working toward creating a positive impact on the world, The SHIFT Project aims to disrupt the cycle of women’s homelessness and empower them to reconnect with community and achieve their full potential in a holistic way.’
The International Women’s Day Lunch is also celebrating the fifth birthday of The SHIFT Project, which in itself is an incredible achievement for this local independent charity.
This hot ticket luncheon at Elements brings together two-hundred like-minded people to celebrate achievements and discuss pathways for a more equal world.
The event is the annual fundraiser for The SHIFT Project and is the cornerstone to its continued success in helping women to move from disadvantage to empowerment and fulfilling their potential. The 12-week program of counselling, work experience, education and support has a tremendous success rate of over 90 per cent.
During the lunch there will be a panel discussion chaired by Caroline Glanville Jones, international expert on resilience and transformation. The panel includes:
Anne Goslett, The SHIFT Project Founder and Managing Director.
Delta Kay, Arakwal Custodian.
Mandy Nolan, comedian, journalist, author and local activist.
For tickets go to: www.shiftproject.org.au/events/
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