Kisharon Langdon puts its members centre stage at annual fundraiser - The Jewish Chronicle

Every one of us is different, and every one of us should have the chance to thrive. This was the key takeaway from the second annual Kisharon Langdon dinner on Wednesday night in central London, which saw £1.7 million raised for the charity which supports people with learning disabilities and those who are autistic.

Taking centre stage at the event, titled “This is My Life”, were Shammai Rotenberg, Marc Butcher and Sarah Merriman, members of Kisharon Langdon, who told the 750 guests how the charity had enabled them to secure jobs, cultivate friendships and move out of family homes into supported-living apartments.

Shammai, who is a qualified barista and also trains NHS staff to ensure they have the right knowledge to treat people with additional needs, said that his work “gives me confidence and makes me feel proud. I like being busy and I like knowing that my work matters.”

He said what he particularly enjoyed about being a trainer on the NHS Oliver McGowan Programme – named after a young autistic patient with a mild disability, who died after receiving the wrong medication – was that it helped “make people feel safe and included”.

Marc, who described himself as Kisharon Langdon’s “resident DJ”, has been in the charity’s supported-living housing for about a year. He told guests: “It helps me be independent and know that support is there when I need it.”

A keen cyclist, Marc has taken part in several Kisharon Langdon Velo fundraisers and said he attended regular spinning classes as part of his training.

With support from Kisharon Langdon, he has found a job doing office administration, “all with a dashing smile”, telling guests: “I live a life that feels like mine … full of opportunities, challenges and successes, and you are part of it.”

Your presence here tonight is a statement. A statement that people with learning disabilities and autistic people deserve to thrive

Sarah, who has been a member of Kisharon Langdon for ten years, said living in a shared house with a support worker was “fun, lively and supportive, [which] really helps my parents step back”.

Travelling independently to her job at a hotel, she said it was “great to have a salary as it helps me live independently”.

Sarah shared how, in her free time, she attended a choir, communal Friday night dinners and Kisharon Langdon programmes at Maccabi House in Edgware, saying: “This is my life – a Jewish life. I live my life with love.”

The evening put into action the charity’s message of inclusivity. While both Shammai and Marc were toastmasters, another 15 Kisharon Langdon members helped with the running of the dinner.

The exceptionally powerful appeal film included subtitles, and pictorial instructions were projected onto screens when guests were invited to say Hamotzi and toast the State of Israel and the King.

Dinner Chair Nicole Ronson Allalouf (second from left) with daughter, Lucy (left), joined by stars of Kisharon Langdon appeal film Channi (third from left) and Leah (front) with Leah's family (Photo: Justin Grainge)[Missing Credit]

Guests were entertained with music from Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists Electric Umbrella, who performed their song Tikkun Olam, written in collaboration with pupils from the Wohl Campus – Kisharon Noé School, a Loftus Learning Centre. They also sang their popular number No such thing as normal, which is currently being performed in stadiums throughout the UK as part of the Young Voices programme.

Speaking at the dinner, Richard Franklin, chief executive of Kisharon Langdon, said: “Your presence here tonight is more than support. It is a statement. A statement that people with learning disabilities and autistic people deserve to thrive. Because of supporters like you, our services continue to grow and evolve, even in the most challenging times.”

He said that since the merger between Kisharon and Langdon in 2023, day services had expanded from 26 sessions per month to over 140, creating more opportunities for learning, skills and social connection; supported Living now supported 166 individuals, up from 147, and 142 pupils and students now attended their educational facilities from nursery through to college, with the nursery at 118 per cent capacity and the school at 113 per cent.

He reported that its Wohl Employment Programme had supported 72 people into employment or work equivalence, and the charity’s communal Friday night dinners had quadrupled in size to around 70 people, “creating community and belonging where it was sometimes absent”.

Franklin said that in 2026 alone, the charity needed to raise £4.6 million to meet rising costs and increasing demand. “The generosity shown in this room tonight is vital to ensuring we can continue delivering safe, high-quality, transformative support,” he said.

Nicole Ronson Allalouf, chair of the dinner, said: “It was truly wonderful to look out and see over 750 supporters, families, and friends gathered last night for the second Kisharon Langdon fundraising dinner.

“I want to thank the 17 people we support who helped bring the evening to life with their skill and professionalism. Last night was about community, connection, and celebrating lives lived with purpose and possibility.”

In a joint statement, Kisharon Langdon co-Chairs, Nick Doffman and Philip Goldberg, said: “As co-chairs, we are immensely proud of how far Kisharon Langdon has come. The merging of Kisharon and Langdon has created an organisation with deeper expertise, broader reach, and a more unified vision.

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters, whose generosity sustains everything we do… Our fundraising dinner is a celebration not only of what we have achieved but of the values that make this community so special.”

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Kisharon Langdon