Nshorna, my daughter, engaged in a day of fundraising for the children of Gaza. She is the founder of The Wise Lotus Centre for wellbeing, near St. Albans, Herts, 25 minutes on the train north of London, UK. Her team at the centre offered their time and skills to people to help raise the donations. Here is her report.
On Saturday 4th October 2025, The Wise Lotus Centre opened its doors for a very special day of compassion, community and connection, which raised funds for the children of Gaza.
From 9am, both treatment rooms were alive with care and kindness until well into the evening. A huge thank you goes to Donna and Parise, who generously gave their time and skills to deliver Japanese Head Spas, facials, and massages throughout the day. Alongside them, our LumiHeal light and sound sessions offered moments of peace and reflection, giving people a chance to rest deeply and reconnect with themselves.
We shared cake, conversations, and quiet moments of gratitude as our community came together in a spirit of giving.
Many wonderful local practitioners donated 20 incredible prizes to our online raffle, hosted through raffall.com. Prizes included Japanese Head Spas, Floating Sound Bath tickets, hypnotherapy sessions, Reiki, massage, Tai Chi and more - each one offered in the same spirit of compassion that drives everything we do.
Throughout the day, guests wrote personal notes of support to the children in Gaza, which will be shared directly through our network. It was an emotional and deeply human experience - I spent times during the day experiencing tears as I witnessed the kindness, personal notes and donations of people in the centre.
Three Core Values
When I first founded The Wise Lotus Centre, it was built on three core values: ethics, kindness and compassion. It was about bringing people together, supporting one another, and remembering our shared humanity. This fundraiser reminded me exactly why that matters. The generosity and engagement we witnessed throughout the campaign showed that when people act from the heart, real change is possible.
All funds raised from this campaign will be donated to MATW (Muslims Around the World) - one of the largest and most effective humanitarian organisations currently on the ground in Gaza, providing food, shelter, clean water, and vital medical aid to children and families in crisis.
You can learn more about their work and ongoing projects at www.matwproject.org. MATW will issue us with a certificate once funds have been transferred across. (We are waiting on the raffle site to release the funds from the raffle before we can confirm the final amount). We estimate that we raised around £1400 (€1600.00 in total in a single day.
At The Wise Lotus Centre, we believe that true wellbeing is inseparable from ethics and compassion. Wellness isn’t only about individual healing - it’s about standing for humanity, supporting those in need, and remembering that every act of kindness, no matter how small, matters.
To everyone who donated, attended, volunteered, or sent messages of love - thank you. Together, we proved that the light of compassion shines brightest in times of darkness.
If you missed the event but would still like to contribute, you can donate to us via PayPal at support@thewiselotus.com or to MATW by visiting their website
https://matwproject.org/
Please include “Donation for Gaza” in the payment note if donating through us so we can ensure it goes directly towards this cause. Every donation helps provide food, shelter and hope to children and families who need it most.
With warmth and appreciation,
Nshorna