Jamie Oliver's Charity Dinner Raises £225,000

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver hosted his Fifteen Foundation’s annual fund-raising dinner in London on December 5th, raising £225,000 ($457,000) to help train unemployed youths for careers in the restaurant business.

Disadvantaged would-be chefs are taught the trade in the Foundation’s “Fifteen” restaurants located in London, Amsterdam, Melbourne and western England.

“We’re trying to build a training kitchen above Fifteen to help the local community, and we’d like to increase the number of apprentices each year to 45 from about 20 to 25,” Oliver told Bloomberg before the event.

“We need a lot of dosh but it’s not only about the money. This is a chance for us to tell high- profile people what we’re trying to do. We’re helping kids from tough backgrounds and events like this help us to get to the next level.’’

Entertainment for the event was provided by ex-Boyzone singer Ronan Keating.

“Jamie’s a good friend of mine and I’m delighted to be here,‘’ Keating, said. "With him, it’s not about fame, it’s not about celebrity, it’s about helping people."

Fifteen Foundation apprentices prepared a sumptuous meal for the event. One trainee, 21-year-old Portia Eyeson, said "Fifteen has been very good for me. I heard about it through the Centrepoint hostel for the homeless."