Karma Korma – a delicious charity campaign

My friend Sanjay thinks variety is the spice of life. Good thing too, since his brand-new career in the spice trade sees him involved with all sorts. One cause especially close to his huge heart is Bristol-based charity FRANK Water, not least because their campaigns have helped him get into the UK’s hottest music festivals as a volunteer.

 A background in recruitment means Sanjay’s super at fostering ideal introductions. And so the Spice Kitchen co-founder saw fit to introduce me to his mate Annabel Hunt; one of the brains behind the charity and its forthcoming Karma Korma initiative. And I saw fit to do a bit of digging into what the curiously-named campaign is all about.

 I’m all about using tasty Indian food to further good causes, and as it transpires, so is Karma Korma. The inaugural campaign last year raised over £5000 for FRANK Water‘s projects, and inspired such deliciously diverse events as a curry party in the Alps and a Bollywood-Bhangra night. Inspiring stuff, indeed – and the ambitious charity is aiming to triple the figure for 2014.

So where does the money go? Smarties will already have sussed the answer from the name – FRANK Water’s MO is to provide access to safe water supplies worldwide. The Karma Korma campaign is centred around World Water Day on 22^nd March, when the charity hopes people up and down the country will seize the chance to sate curry cravings whilst creating cash for the cause.

 Tongues may be firmly in cheeks when it comes to some of Karma Korma’s wacky fundraising ideas, but hearts are resolutely in the right place. The way the team see it, the cause is serious, but there’s no harm in having fun as you effect change. So event suggestions include ‘Wear a Sari to Work Day’,a ‘Bhaji Bake Sale’, and a Karma Korma ‘Come Dine with Me’.

Inspiration for a charity dinner?

If enjoying yourself whilst filling your stomach weren’t incentive enough, FRANK Water has teamed up with BART Ingredients to offer all would-be fundraisers an exclusive spice blend that will allow even the most amateur cook to pass themselves off as a curry connoisseur. Teamed with a few foolproof recipes from celebrity chefs including Vicky Bhogal and Vivek Singh, you can’t fail.

To accompany your spiced-up supper, why not serve the very beverage the charitable organisation was founded around? The other strand to FRANK Water’s work is an eponymous ethical bottled water brand. You might be hitting a bottle of something harder at your Karma Korma event, but hey; even the impure need to stay hydrated to keep hangovers at bay.

Should you be the strange type for whom Indian food holds little allure, frankly I’d say you’re a samosa short of a tiffin tray. To paraphrase Victor Meldrew, ‘I don’t beeelieve you’. I’d suggest you follow FRANK Water’s idea of arranging a cookery demonstration. Because ideally, witnessing an expert at work will demonstrate to doubting Thomases quite how cracking Indian cuisine actually is.

For the past few years, I’ve been a keen and vocal champion for Find Your Feet’s ‘Curry for Change’, which uses a similar strategy to rural poverty in its partner communities. When both campaigns provide such an excellent excuse to indulge a love for Indian food with a crystal-clear conscience, I’m more than happy to promote the pair. Join me – this is one wise decision sure to keep you well-fed.

• For more information about FRANK Water’s Karma Korma campaign, visit www.frankwater.com
• ‘Like’ FRANK Water and join the ‘FRANK Water’s Karma Korma Campaign‘ group on Facebook.
• Follow @frankwater on Twitter.
• To sign up for the FreeFill initiative and gain access to summer music festivals in return for volunteering, click here.