Marmalade and Helping Refugees

From a Big Brekkie (with marmalade) to a cake sale and a Paddington Bear ‘cinema’, darkest Peru’s most famous stowaway has helped pupils at Lilliput CofE Infant School, learn more about refugees during Christian Aid Week.

Paddington Bear-inspired events helped pupils at the Poole school raise money for today’s refugees and those living in poverty around the world.

Teacher Harriet Ward said: “As we are an infant school, we wanted to think of a way that would help the children understand about refugees without overwhelming them.

“The reasons for refugees are complex but ultimately, caring for those who have no safe place to call home – as the Browns do in the book – is a simple message and one that Christian Aid lives out.

“We are delighted to be supporting Christian Aid, the Big Brekkie was lots of fun and involved a fair bit of marmalade.”

Christian Aid Week celebrated its 60th birthday this year and, in parallel to the charity’s early years raising funds for refugees in the wake of the Second World War, it is again inviting people to stand in solidarity with those facing life-threateningly dangerous journeys in search of sanctuary.

Christian Aid’s new regional coordinator for Dorset, Fiona Daborn, said, “It was fantastic to hear about this Big Brekkie and the sensitive way the staff are helping their pupils to engage with the theme of refugees.  It sounded tasty too!

“Christian Aid is currently tackling poverty in 39 countries around the world, including providing support to refugees and food and water to those on the brink of starvation across East Africa where the lives of 16 million people hang in the balance. Events such as this Big Brekkie here in Poole help us respond rapidly where the need is greatest across the world.

“A big thank you to the school, the children and their parents for joining in and helping to make the 60th Christian Aid Week a real community event.”

Learn more at caweek.org.