Syrian Supper Club Success!
We had a wonderful charity event last night.... we hosted the Syrian Supper Club, raising money and awareness for the Hands Up Foundation. Already, this morning we heard from Rose Lukas (the Founder of the Foundation) that the event has raised over £3,000!
We were pleased to welcome the MP for Banbury; Victoria Prentis and all our other lovely guests attending this event.
But special thanks goes to George Butler (in the photo below with Khalid) who is an award winning artist and illustrator specialising in travel and current affairs. His drawings, done in situ are in pen, ink and watercolour and in 2012 George walked from Turkey across the border into Syria, where as guest of the rebel Free Syrian Army he drew the images he saw of the civil war.
Last night George shared some of his stories with us from his travels in Syria and the people he met and the importance of the work that the Foundation is doing to help the Syrian people who need it most. This is George's website should you wish to know more: http://www.georgebutler.org/
Our relationship started with the Hands Up Foundation over a year ago when a lovely local couple; Caroline & Christopher popped in spreading the word of the work the Foundation is doing and asked if we would be willing to have a book corner in our bar. We happily agreed and started selling 2nd hand books to raise money for prosthetic limbs for Syrian children affected by the ongoing Syrian crisis. Each limb can cost £300 so this was an easy way for anyone to pop in for a drink or food, browse our books and donate a few £'s for whatever books they wish to take away. Some locals are so kind, they donate books to us, buy other books on our shelves, read them and bring them back as donations for others to buy!
This book corner is just a tiny little bit that the Cinnamon Stick can do to help the Foundation and they have many wonderful projects on the go. Here is a link to their website for further information or should you wish to make a donation: https://handsupfoundation.org/
A local budding artist in Middle Barton kindly donated some Christmas cards for us to sell and proceeds to go to the Foundation and last night Caroline sold out of the childrens books and jars of marmalade (proceeds to the Foundation). The delicious "MarmalAid" is delicately infused with the scent of roses to conjure the memory of the beautiful roses found in every Damascene home. Should you wish to purchase some please go to:
Caroline and Christopher kindly helped us plan the Syrian Supper Club with Rose Lukas and we are so delighted that it was such a success. Thank you to all those involved and all those who attended, we appreciate it.
Lauren & Khalid x
