Help Others At The Ultimate English Day Out

An annual event often described as ‘the ultimate English summer fete’ will soon return, giving people in Salisbury and South Wilts the chance to help people in war-torn South Sudan – and have a lovely afternoon out.

The much anticipated garden party at the Bishop of Salisbury’s house, South Canonry, in the Cathedral Close will take place this year on Sunday coming, 17 June, from from 2-5 pm, by kind permission of Bishop Nicholas and his wife Helen.

The focus will be on the beleaguered country of South Sudan, which has been in meltdown since civil war broke out shortly after the declaration of independence in 2011.

Helen Holtam said,  “This is a fun, lovely, day out with traditional fete games and competitions, our very popular stalls for plants, books and bric-a-brac, as well as tea and everything else you’d want with it on a summer afternoon, from home-made cakes to strawberries and ice-cream.

“We’ll even have a few live camels turning up!”

Mike Maclachlan is a member of the Salisbury Sudan Medical Link who regularly visits the country to oversee projects there.

Mike Maclachlan said,  “The Salisbury Sudan Medical Link purchases and distributes key medicines to clinics in South Sudan run by well-trained nurses and clinical officers. We can respond to sudden emergencies, like an outbreak of cholera last year in the Nuba mountains. It was a real challenge to transport supplies to a remote with live shelling going on, but everything arrived in time.

“The fighting between militias across the country has had huge effects on the lives of ordinary people. Many have become refugees and roads are no longer safe. This has made the cost of delivering medicines much higher.

“The generosity of people here literally saves lives over there.

“We also help South Sudan become more self-sufficient in health care, by paying for the training of clinical officers, midwives and laboratory technician and, with experience, achieve remarkable results. Preventing disease is as much a priority as the cure. The people we help train advise on safe drinking water, protecting hands and feet, and vaccinations to protect children from common killers such as measles, chicken pox and tetanus.

“Pregnant women in South Sudan are more at risk of dying than anywhere else in the world. The midwives we train visit young pregnant women, identifying those at risk of a difficult delivery and those needing active care, making inroads into a tragic statistic.”