Ever the gourmand, GoldFinger is never one to turn down some fine dining, and especially not when the venue is as grand as the Palace Of Westminster, so it was a great pleasure to attend Barclays Wealth Middle East's latest sponsored event - a dinner hosted in the House of Commons that raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

The good cause in question is IMET2000 (the International Medical Education Trust), which, among its activities, sponsors trainee doctors in developing countries and works to ensure that expectant mothers in remote, rural communities have access to proper healthcare during their pregnancy.

Over 100 generous guests paid £200 each to attend this hugely enjoyable event, and donations continued to flow in through the night, raising an amazing £40,000 (around $63,500) for IMET2000 - a sum which will no doubt help to save many lives around the world. In addition to a fantastic meal, diners also had the company of prominent high net worth individuals, and with the support of Soha Nashaat, chief executive for Barclays Wealth in the Middle East and North Africa and 2008's "Woman Banker of the Year”, the event was a great success.  

The chief executive of IMET2000, Professor Colin Green, who has worked in the Middle East on healthcare projects for over 30 years, said:  "We much appreciate the support of Barclays Wealth Middle East for this dinner, not just for the generous financial sponsorship but also in the knowledge that they are working partners in our many projects to improve healthcare in the Middle East in a sustainable way."  

"It gives me great pleasure to support the development of medical capabilities in the region, bringing the standards in line with the ever rising global challenges that we face, which itself highlights our commitment to the communities we operate in," said Ms ‪Nashaat.