Children from 8th Salisbury Cubs and Beavers have been raising funds for the Westcountry-based disaster relief charity ShelterBox.
ShelterBox is a disaster relief charity that provides aid to families who have lost their homes due to disaster or conflict.
It has helped more than 2.5 million people in around 100 countries since it was founded in 2000, with different combinations of emergency shelter, support, and essential household items.
The charity is currently supporting displaced people across the world, including in Malawi where thousands of people have been displaced by severe flooding in a cycle of disaster that is devastating the country.
It’s also responding in Gaza to support some of the 1.7 million people who have been displaced by the conflict.
The community group, which has announced ShelterBox as its charity of the year for 2024, kickstarted their year of fundraising by sleeping out at the local Church Hall. They raised hundreds of pounds for the charity as part of its Tent for Lent Appeal.
Cub Leader, Beverley Turner, said: “At 8th Salisbury we like to have a sleepover for our Beavers and Cubs on a Saturday night in Lent.
“The church has a team of lovely people who cook breakfast for anyone who would like to come and share fellowship after the early morning 8am communion or before the main service at 10.30am.
“We raised £360, and we hope that our efforts will help a family in the future to feel a bit more settled.”
The appeal encourages people to pledge to give something up, take on a challenge or host a fundraising event during Lent, donating the money saved or raised to help fund ShelterBox projects around the world.
As well as sleeping out, the Cubs made rope from twisted wool for friendship bracelets and held a cake sale at a congregation of Salisbury Methodist Church’s uniform groups.
Community Fundraising Assistant at ShelterBox, John Stanbury, said: “Through their incredible fundraising efforts, the 8th Salisbury Cubs have helped to provide the shelter with essential items like blankets, solar lights and water filters that give warmth, light and clean water to help people to begin to recover after disaster.
“We think the Cubs and Beavers are amazing, and we are so grateful to all the group leaders, family members and members of the congregation who so warmly supported and enabled their fundraising. Together we make a difference.”
To find out more about where ShelterBox is working, how to fundraise, or join its book club, people can visit shelterbox.org.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here