Community coffee morning raises funds for a new borehole project

A Community fundraising coffee morning, organised by Peter and Chris Dowsett of Little Birch, Herefordshire has raised more than £900 for a borehole project in Africa. The event took place on Saturday the 12th of May, at Much Birch community hall in South Herefordshire.

Peter and Chris are well known for their fundraising activities in their local community, as well as Christ Church in Ross-On-Wye, where they facilitate a community group every Tuesday. The couple have organised a coffee morning every year, to benefit a different charity for more than a decade. This year's event was organised in aid of Hope Spring water, a local clean water charity.

The coffee morning lasted just three hours, but saw a large turnout of supporters from the local community, and from as far afield as Ross-on-Wye and Oxfordshire. For the event, one section of Much Birch community hall was transformed into a café, serving free tea and coffee as well as cakes. The other section was turned into assorted stalls, selling cakes, potted plants, books, bric-a-brac and a tombola stall. A table selling raffle tickets was strategically placed at the entrance to the hall.

Hope Spring water stall at the event, had information and literature about their work. It also had an electronic display, showing well and borehole projects they have completed. There was information on how their work has positively affected the lives of people they work with, especially women and children. Children at the coffee morning, were invited to enter a competition to draw a replica well on display at Hope Spring stall. About eight children, aged between two and ten years old entered the contest, they all went home with prizes.

When the event finished at 1pm, a total of £655 was raised. Donations from supporters who were not able to attend trickled in over many days after, to reach a final figure of £902.70. Peter and Chris Dowsett thank all the people who came to support the event, and local businesses who donated items for the raffle prizes. Receiving a cheque for the money raised, Temi Odurinde, a trustee of Hope Spring water said “we are very pleased by this generous donation, it will help provide clean water to at least five hundred people in Africa”.