Tea At The Ritz

But this year we're asking you to put the kettle on!

Our popular Tea at the Ritz event is moving online and into your home bringing an afternoon of style, sophistication, cake and the magical voice of songbird Natalie Nightingale.

The annual fundraiser, held each September, will be going ahead, but this year you’ll be able to enjoy it from the comfort of your garden, kitchen, or even the sofa in your living room.

The coronavirus pandemic means that this year’s event, renamed Tea in the Blitz to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, could not be held in its usual format at The Palace, a former Edwardian cinema in Ibstock. 

Instead we’re asking you to have fun recreating it at home on Sunday, September 20 between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

Dust off your cake stand, bake a batch of brownies, cut those sandwiches just the way you like them, and settle down for an afternoon of live entertainment from award-winning singer Natalie Nightingale.

Natalie will be live-streaming a show-stopping performance through her Facebook page www.facebook.com/natalienightingalesinger as she takes a journey down memory lane to the 1940s, with a wartime singalong.

Even if you haven’t got a Facebook account, you’ll still be able to watch and enjoy the afternoon’s entertainment without one as long as you have access to the internet.

Expect classics like A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, White Cliffs of Dover and We’ll Meet Again. 

And you can still fundraise for us through the afternoon and while you enjoy the entertainment by donating to our JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/scte. 

Like all charities, SCTE’s funding has been hit by coronavirus, so if you would like to make sure you hear your favourite song, all you have to do is make a donation to the charity and then email your request through to media@scte-activities.org.uk by Monday, September 14. 

And if you do have a Facebook account, you’ll also be able to message Natalie during the performance to ask for an old-fashioned mention for yourself, friends or family who are watching too.

We would love to share your photos of the afternoon too. We’ll be setting up a Facebook group nearer the time so you can post them direct to our Facebook page, or email them to us at media@scte-activities.org.uk.