Calling all those MNers from the original refugee post

[Theremustbesomething]

Hi All,

Slightly to my surprise, I got a response from my rather nice MP to my letters about the refugee crisis. She is trying to start a nationwide initiative to raise money for Syrian refugees, holding carol services this Christmas using the same sort of model as the Macmillan coffee morning; you register, you get a pack of carols, readings etc, in case you want to use them, and you just sort out the venue and invite your friends.

I thought long and hard before posting this here. I fully appreciate that Mumsnet has no religious affiliation and I wavered back and forth over whether this was an appropriate forum for it.

However, I have on the end posted it because as a number of other posters have already noted, I feel that this is neither a political nor a religious issue, but a humanitarian one. I suspect that most of us, whether we consider ourselves to be religious or not, will attend a carol service of some sort this Christmas. Whatever our views on religion, I think most of us would agree that Christmas is still a time when we take stock of how lucky we are to be living somewhere where our children are safe - where we don't have to weigh up on a daily or hourly basis whether putting them in leaking boats to cross a freezing, dark sea is more dangerous than staying in a war zone.

It would be fantastic if this could take off this Christmas. I have tried to attach an information sheet setting out more details but for some reason the system won't let me attach it here. If anyone would like a copy, please just PM me and I'll send it over. Essentially, you just need to:

1. email [email protected] for your pack;

1. find a venue; and

1. invite friends/colleagues etc.

Please, please could I ask that you each consider taking this up in your local preschool or choir or football club etc this Christmas, and spreading the word as far and widely as possible to friends and family? If you happen to attend a church, please could you raise it with your vicar? Religion aside, we will all hear a lot at Christmas time about people who travel a very long way and have nowhere to stay. That must surely resonate this Christmas. It could be any of us.

Even if you don't think you can assist, please could you bump this thread so that the word travels as far as possible?

Thanks for reading; sorry that was quite long!

I would love to organise a carol service, but have no way of doing so. I will definitely look out for one in the local area though.

I really hate self promoting but I am a childminder and my little mindees also wanted to raise some money to help so we are doing a sponsored walk over the next few days for a local refugee support charity, if anyone has a few spare pounds they could donate the kids would be thrilled because they are so excited and proud at the thought to being able to help people.

Horse, that's a very generous way of putting it. ;) When I first posted on this, I said to DH that in order to get anywhere, I would probably have to risk annoying everyone I knew, and that has proved to be the case! I'm hoping they'll forget with time...

Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate how kind people are being. I also wasn't aware of the Unicef idea but obviously that looks fantastic too (and hopefully might also be of interest to people who are less keen on a carol service).

Just putting this crowdfunding appeal here again, these people are making woodburning stoves to take over, it's happening now and a few more quids in the donation tin would help massively.

crowdfunding.justgiving.com/wood-burning-stoves-for-refugee-camps