This year’s Christian Aid Week has been hailed a success.

Fiona Daborn, the charity’s regional co-ordinator for Dorset, has praised all those who came together to raise money for those less fortunate than themselves.

The theme of this year’s Christian Aid Week was ‘All mums should live’ and focused on helping mums in Sierra Leone, where 10 women die every day from giving birth.

Mrs Daborn said: “A huge thank you to everyone in Dorset who was involved in Christian Aid Week 2019. It was fantastic to visit some of the many events taking place across the county. Thank you to those who served up Big Brekkies in Weymouth, Bridport, Blandford and beyond. The new all male catering team were rushed off their feet serving local families more than 40 full English and continental breakfasts at St Swithuns church on Saturday, May 18 with the amazing Verena, aged 88, taking money at the door.

“We have been so inspired by all those taking part in sponsored walks, browsing the Dorchester Christian Aid market, enjoying jazz in Bradpole and tucking into cream teas in Beaminster and Lyme Regis – in Lyme the Christian Aid group raised an amazing £593 in one afternoon. Church services across the county took a Christian Aid theme and it was a privilege to speak in churches in Sherborne, Poole, Swanage and Weymouth.

“We couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteers and supporters who give up their free time to help others. Last year in Dorset, together we raised over £106,000 during Christian Aid Week. What difference does it make? As an example, this would have been enough to install solar panels onto 43 clinics in rural Sierra Leone meaning that instead of delivering babies by torchlight, nurses would have light to see, leading to safer births and healthier families. Thank you for being part of the story again in 2019”.

'Encouraging effort' in the county town

One of the organisers of Christian Aid Week in Dorchester said the response from people in the town was ‘particularly encouraging’ this year.

Christian Aid Week began on the Sunday (May 12) with a service at St Peter’s Church.

There were then three Big Brekkies held at the Quakers, St Peters and Dorchester Baptist Church.

Residents flocked to a Christian Aid Market on the Wednesday (May 15) at the United Church Dorchester, where they tucked into ploughman’s lunches. An impressive total of nearly £1,300 was raised at the event.

The street collection in South Street, which took place on the Friday, also raised an impressive amount of money – with a final total of £367.

The total amount of money raised from the sponsored River Jordan walk is to be announced..

Tony Boyden, one of the organisers of Christian Aid Week in Dorchester, said: “Our major means of raising funding is house to house collections in which numerous people go out to collect envelopes. This accounts for about two-thirds of our annual funding. We also experimented with people being able to put their contributions in collection buckets in selected local shops. We won’t know the final figure for this, but people were particular concerned with our campaign about Sierra Leone with its terrible losses of women and children in childbirth and the work Christian Aid was doing to improve facilities. The response was particularly encouraging, although we still desperately need more volunteers for collections next year.”