GRAVESEND'S Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club last week presented "Denton Diwali", a charitable evening intended to both entertain and raise awareness of the festival.

Proceedings took place at The Family Centre, in Lower Range Road on Friday November 9th.

The night's entertainment included Lethal Soundz Road-show, songs and dance from the Rochester Grammar School for Girls and a performance by The Four by Four Bhangra Youth Club.

Younger guests at the event enjoyed Henna painting, and a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. The evening's total proceeds- an impressive £617.82- were donated to The BBC Children in Need Appeal.

Those attending even heard a special Diwali message from Tony Blair, read by Chris Pond MP, which highlighted the far-reaching sig-nificance of the festi-val.

A spokesman for the club today de-scribed "the fantastic turnout, which included a wide range of ethnic groups. We found this particularly encouraging, as it shows that Diwali doesn't exclude any-one."

Meanwhile, Kent Fire Brigade have urged those celebrat-ing Diwali to take care, following a se-ries of fires in past years caused by fireworks and candles.

Kent Fire Safety Officer Pirthipal Kang advised: "Use the firework code, use a candle holder and never leave burning candles unattended."

November 23, 2001 11:30