The owner of an upmarket Birmingham restaurant turned his hand to waiting on guests at a special dinner for residents of The Salvation Army’s William Booth Centre.
Itihaas, on Fleet Street, celebrated its ten year anniversary by inviting 25 of the city’s most vulnerable people to dine on a menu of authentic Indian cuisine, carefully prepared by the restaurant’s chefs and overseen by the owner’s mother.
The guests were served not by waiters but by the restaurant owner himself, Raj Rana, members of his family, his mentor Sanjay Anand MBE, and Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood.
Mr Rana explained the reasons behind the gesture.
“The Salvation Army does fantastic work and we really wanted to help with their efforts to rehabilitate people who are homeless.
‘‘People who are homeless are all too often ignored or even turned away in our society. We wanted to welcome them to Itihaas and make them feel special. Inclusion is hugely important in breaking the cycle of homelessness.”
Pictures by Dale Martin
