Roadside stall raises over £4600 for charity

In Dorset, Diana Masters and her husband David set out a roadside stall each day from mid-April till mid-October.

They operated an Honesty Box but still had to commit to putting everything away at night, and covering the stall if it rained.

Diana explains:

"On 14th April a simple trestle table with appropriate signs went up outside Bagmore Farm, Silton on the B3092, the route that many people take to work in the morning and return in the evening, just near a sharp bend in the road where drivers have to slow right down. This was soon bringing in donations of plants that had been meant for our village Plant Sale in May, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic of course was not now going to take place.

"These plants and garden produce were joined by preserves and before long, knowing that our Church’s Summer Fair - where money raised provided half the amount regularly donated by our PCC to various charities at Christmas - was not going to happen either, cakes, shortbread, flapjacks and quiches were soon being added and sold.

"Throughout the summer we made urgent donations each between £100 and £250 to, for instance, Alabaré (twice), Gillingham Food Bank (twice), North Dorset Women’s Refuge, Christian Aid, Salvation Army, Hope for Tomorrow, Crisis, Médecins sans Frontières, and the Bishop’s Appeal for Sudan.

"The stall continued daily until 18th October, having sold all the produce that would have been in the church for Harvest Festival. Our November Christmas Fair had also been cancelled, but by the time it closed the Stall had raised over £4,650.

"We were still able, on occasions, to double up our usual £100, when this month we sent off our Christmas donations to 20 charities in all.

"Of course this amazing result would not have been achieved without a lot of hard work and much cooking by members of the congregation (with no expenses taken) for which we have been hugely grateful. Will we do it again next year? Our lovely customers would like it, but who knows?"