Feast of Fun Remember Feast of Fun? We have supported it for several years now. It is run through Together Middlesbrough and Cleveland (https://togethermc.org.uk). Middlesbrough includes the very poorest places in England, where people are in real need. Feast of Fun began in 2014, trying to provide good lunches during school holidays for families getting Free School Meals during termtime. It grew to include holiday activities and outings for families who cannot afford holidays for their children. It attracted support, both financial and practical, from local companies, and from local places to visit. Before COVID, it delivered 13,500 meals and holiday activities in one year. I spent a few days with one group in Berwick Hills in both 2018 and 2019, and saw how great the need was, and how much Feast of Fun helped. There was, quite simply, great love shared by people who are often despised but who are NOT ‘scroungers’. With COVID, need increased. Unable to gather people together, Feast of Fun helpers delivered over 100,000 meals and activity packs to individual homes in each year. Now, with living costs rising, things are getting even worse – and recent government initiatives reach only 30% of children getting Free School Meals while restricting the local authority’s ability to help Feast of Fun. Currently, there is no money for this summer. Can we help, please? I shall be making appeals through the church. But anyone can donate anything by getting in touch with me (Su Reid, 6 West End, 07811 442501, sufpreid@gmail.com) or or by using the All Saints Church website donating facility at https://bit.ly/HRfeastoffun , or by going to https://togethermc.org.uk. OR SIMPLY CLICK ON THE QR CODE! Of course we are all worrying for Ukrainians – and some of them, we hope, will be welcomed here. But the poor of our own society still need our help – and we need to demonstrate that we are a community that respects and values each other.
