More than £1,000 was raised when a principal cooked up an Indian-inspired treat for Association of Colleges (AoC) chief exeuctive Martin Doel.

Vision West Notts principal and chief executive Asha Khemka donned her chef’s whites to prepare and serve authentic Asian cuisine to business people and college staff to boost funds for her Inspire and Achieve Foundation.

Educationalist Mrs Khemka set up the foundation in 2008 after growing increasingly concerned about the effects that the decline of the coal mining and textiles industries were having on communities in Nottinghamshire.

It aims to provide young people with volunteering and mentoring schemes to help them develop the right attitudes and self-confidence to succeed.

Mr Doel, also a trustee of the foundation, was one of over sixty guests to enjoy onion bhajis, cooked by Mrs Khemka, followed by chicken curry and other accompaniments.