Shropshire Star

Soup and pud event raises thousands for Ukraine

Residents in Clun turned out in their droves to eat soup and pudding and raise thousands of pounds for refugees.

Published
Organiser Joan Kerry, centre, with Deputy Lord Lieutenant Katherine Garnier and Mayor Brian Angell

Around 250 people turned up to the two-hour event held at the Clun Memorial Hall where a variety of soups and cakes were on display.

They were entertained by members of the Clun ukulele group who did two sessions of music as people sat down to eat.

Village resident Lisa Beznosiuk also gave a moving speech on how the war in the Ukraine had affected members of her family caught up in it.

Annie Sutton and Christine Perkins enjoy the soup and pud event in Clun
The Clun Ukulele Band provided entertainment

The event - entry to which was by donation - was the brainchild of Clun resident Joan Kerry who recruited 37 volunteer helpers to do everything from preparing the food and cakes to serving it, waiting tables or washing up.

Another 12 people who couldn't be there baked cakes for the event, money from which will go to the Médecins Sans Frontières charity and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Around £5,00 was raised but the total is expected to rise considerably when gift aided donations are taken into account.

Lisa Beznosiuk, who has family in Ukraine, spoke at the event
Win and Barry Gordon

It is not the first time the village has put on a united front to raise funds for worthy causes. Villagers raised over £2,000 for the Philippines earthquake appeal last year.

Joan said it was a very successful event and she was amazed at the generosity of people.

She said: "This is a close community and events like this bring us together but it was a wonderful effort to raise that amount of money from it and I would like to thank everyone who turned out in their numbers and particularly those who volunteered in whatever capacity as they have made the event what it was and ultimately helped people from the war torn Ukraine."

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