On May 7 the concert Hall of Newcastle City Hall came alive with laughter, the tinkling of tea cups and the glamour of high fashion as Wesley Mission held High Tea with a Mission, its premier local fundraiser for the year. 

Greg Colby, Regional Manager for Wesley Mission Newcastle, was excited by the number of guests: “We more than doubled our attendance on last year,” he said. Two hundred and seventy guests heard speakers Shivani Gupta and Grace Macpherson inspire and challenge them to live lives of passion and engagement, and care for others in our community.

“Next year’s High Tea will really be something to look forward to based on this response, “Greg said.

Both Shivani and Grace donated their time, while a record number of Hunter businesses, including PRIME7, the Greater Building Society, NEWfm, 2HD and Silveradoh Promotional Products supported the event and ensured that High Tea with a Mission was able to raise over $12,000 to assist in the work of caring for the needy in the Hunter.