A Journey of Change on the Blue Train

[John Ashworth]

Join change4ever’s Celebrity Ambassadors for a Journey of Change on the Blue Train

Change4ever’s ambassadors Lucia Mthiyane, Thomas Msengana, David Tlale , Unathi Nkayi, , Lerato Mbele, Kojo Baffoe and Lorna Maseko invite you to join them for a once-in-a-lifetime evening of luxury with a purpose aboard the world famous Blue Train on Friday, November 28, 2008.

A warm hearted welcome at the Blue Train’s Pretoria station at 16h30 will set the wheels in motion for an evening defined by the hallmarks of personal attention and devotion to detail.

You will be treated to champagne and other aperitifs in the lounge as you are welcomed by the change4ever ambassadors, before stepping aboard the ultimate definition of luxury in motion. The experience of a lifetime is about to begin – an evening of luxury with a purpose” aboard The Blue Train.

As the sky darkens over the landscape, you will step inside the spectacular restaurant on wheels in your elegant evening wear – and you’re in a world where every taste is a memory in the making, a tantalizing highlight from a menu of magical moments. Take your seat and make yourself at home – the banquet is about to begin. You will be treated to a five course sumptuous dinner accompanied by a selection of impeccable wines from South Africa’s best estates. Dinner on The Blue Train occupies a platform all of its own. The legendary cuisine is an irresistible tribute to culinary mastery on the move.

The Blue Train’s Club Car is ideally positioned for an interlude between courses or for your after dinner conversation while being served coffee, Cognac, and Cuban cigars – or you can savour your beverage of choice from the well-stocked bar in the Lounge Car as the evening continues.

Unwind, relax, and indulge as the train gently meanders along a five hour journey that returns to the capital city before midnight – knowing that your evening of luxury has supported the good cause of raising funds for projects to overcome poverty in southern Africa. As you disembark you will be presented with an exclusive gift from the Blue Train to remember this once in a lifetime experience.

A limited number of tickets are available at R3,000 from Sudley Adams at tel. +27 11 250 7300 or e-mail sudleya@mg.co.za . Get yours now.

Funds raised from the journey will go to the change4ever campaign to support projects that are working for lasting solutions to poverty in Southern Africa. Change4ever is an appeal for your help from the Southern Africa Trust. You can find more information on http://www.change4ever.org or http://www.southernafricatrust.org.



Petronilla Ndebele
Communications and Partnerships Manager

Southern Africa Trust
4 Midridge North, International Business Gateway, 6th Road (off New Road), Midrand, South Africa
P O Box 1234,HALFWAY HOUSE,1685,South Africa

Tel: +27 11 318 1012
Fax: +27 11 318 0814
Mobile: +27 78 458 9969
http://www.southernafricatrust.org

[Steve Appleton]

Where do they find these copywriters? It's just a train after all! I was all fired up to go until I discovered that I don't possess sufficiently "elegant" evening wear (at least not elegant enough to meet this copywriter's pompous expectations), nor a spare R3000.00 per head!! I guess change will just have to wait 4ever. Ah well, there's always the snack shop and picnic benches at FOTR's Hermanstad station... at least we can boast real steam and real notalgia.

[John Ashworth]

I have to say I'm not a great fan of expensive fund-raisers either, but they obviously work, as evidenced by their popularity all over the world. People pay ridiculous sums (in US dollars) to be present amongst several thousand other punters at a black tie dinner where some famous figure makes a short speech then buggers off. So I hope this one works for this particular worthy cause. I have known the key people in the Southern African Trust for some years, and I know they have played their part in the post-liberation transformation. And it's a nice bit of exposure for the railways via the Blue Train.

[John Ashworth]

Luxury with a purpose: All aboard the Blue Train!

On the evening of Friday 28 November, the world-famous Blue Train set off on a unique ‘Journey for Change’ to raise funds for the Change4ever campaign.

A host of Change4ever supporters joined the ambassadors for change to show their support for lasting solutions to poverty in southern Africa – and enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the same time.

We’ll bring you the full story in the next edition of Southern Africa Changemakers.

I will post "the full story" if and when I receive the next edition.