Teams from 14 churches have provided soup and sales tables for a return of the popular Christian Aid Lenten Lunches.
Held every Friday for the past six weeks in Dumfries’ St John’s Church Hall, Lovers Walk, it has been another success with members of all denominations working together to mark Lent and raise funds for Christian Aid.
The hugely popular fundraising meals of homemade soup and a cheese or plain roll, followed by tea and coffee – produced and served by the churches on a rota – ended on Friday, with Dumfries photographer, Jim McEwan catching the event through his camera lens.
Alison Wright, convenor of the Dumfries Christian Aid Committee, and secretary, Margaret Morton, are grateful to everyone involved, in any way, as they were again very well supported, both by producers and consumers, with the grand total raised to be announced shortly.
The Lenten Lunches were served up from noon until 1.30pm and diners were asked for a minimum donation of £3.50. There also was a sales table with home baking, preserves and other goodies together with a Fairtrade stall provided by the Dumfries Fairtrade Group. Alison said: “The last soup lunch was just before the first Covid lockdown so we were delighted to be able to hold these again.
“They have been a Dumfries institution for over 50 years – until Covid – and raise much needed funds for Christian Aid’s work in emergencies such as the current earthquake in Syria and longer-term development work with some of the world’s poorest communities.
“In previous years we have raised more than £5,000 over the six weeks. The hall is always busy, there is a great atmosphere, and the soup is good.”