Crafty fundraising in Cumbria

  

Fundraising can often seem a bit of a daunting exercise. What could you do? Who will help you out? Where do you begin? When you’re passionate about a cause but feel at a loss as to how you can help, the words of tennis player and social activist Arthur Ashe are a great help: ‘Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.’

Today, we are sharing with you a story from some of our wonderful supporters who are doing just that; starting where they are, and using their community’s skills, talents and interests to raise funds to do all that they can. Skelton Methodist Church, in Cumbria, recently used the bounty of artistic gifts in their local church and wider community to put on an Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Spurred on by the success of similar events in previous years, Skelton Methodist Church gave up an entire weekend to make their exhibition as wonderful as possible. Not only did the exhibition house a stunning collection of artwork and curiosities, but also offered the local community plenty of opportunities to come in and have refreshments, with tea and coffee on the go all weekend as well as afternoon teas and a soup lunch.

On display were a variety of fascinating pieces, some of which had travelled from as far afield as the Falkland Islands to be there. Our particular favourite is an exact replica of the famous teapot Josiah Wedgewood presented to John Wesley in 1761 – a great way to celebrate Skelton’s Methodist heritage. When asked about why they had chosen to support All We Can, Rev’d Alan Gawthrop explained that the Church’s regular coffee morning group felt a connection through the church’s traditional Methodist roots. The exhibition was a beautiful showcase of all things vintage, handicraft and ministry focused; we love the way that it embraced the talents of one local community, to help support others who are living in some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.

We are so touched that this small church, with a handful of dedicated volunteers, put on such a large, exciting event, and raised over £350 for All We Can in the process. Think your church or group could do something similar? If you’re interested in fundraising for All We Can, then we would love to hear from you – send us an email with your ideas to info@allwecan.org.uk, or take a look at the fundraising section of our website. It is only thanks to the generosity of people like you that lives are being transformed in some of the world’s poorest communities; only with your support that people are becoming all that they can.

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