SCHOOLS CHRISTMAS SUGAR COLLECTION

B.E.F.A.  

The Buckingham Emergency Food Appeal

Muckle Hill Farm,    Spa Common    North Walsham,     Norfolk,   NR28 9AJ

Tel: 01692 – 407262       e-mail: forBefa@aol.com

 

(Reg. Charity No. 1066578.)

 

PLEASE  HELP  THE  HOMELESS  THIS  CHRISTMAS

 

September 2004.

 

This letter is to ask for your help in this, our 18th annual Christmas collection of sugar for the homeless from the schools of Norfolk.

 

Although it always seems very early to be talking about Christmas, it’s time to ask again if you will help us to bring some comfort to the homeless and vulnerable at what is for them a particularly difficult time of year.  We ask children to collect sugar because they can carry it easily, yet it feels “important”, and they know the “comfortable” feeling it brings.   A packet of sugar is affordable, which allows most families to participate.   Sugar also packs, transports, and stores easily, and is needed by the Shelters in vast amounts.   

 

We hope that British Sugar will agree to help us again this year (as they have for the past 3 years),  matching packet for packet, up to a total of 2 tonnes, the amount of their Silver Spoon brand sugar collected.  Last year Norfolk schools collected over 4 tonnes of sugar.  With British Sugar’s match this became 6 tonnes!  This quantity supplied the winter needs of all the Open Christmases, Homeless Shelters and Women’s Refuges in Norfolk and north Suffolk, as well as other Agencies who help the homeless, such as the Salvation Army.  Also, not forgetting our neighbours, some went to similar projects in Cambridgeshire and in the Manchester area, and some to Crisis and other projects in London. 

 

Many Norfolk schools also collected money for us from Harvest Festivals, Christmas Concerts, “Come As You Like” Days or other fundraisers, which helped us buy traditional Christmas foods (like Turkeys and Christmas Puddings) for local projects for the homeless.

 

The broad outlines of what BEFA does are on the attached Fact Sheet.   We sincerely hope that you will feel able to join the band of Norfolk Schools (over 60 last year) who help us.   If you require any more information, or would like to be put in touch with another school which has collected sugar for us, please let us know.   We try to make things as easy as possible for schools; we know just how busy you are and we will not waste your time!   We can usually supply posters etc. and a speaker if you wish (but please let us know as soon as possible if you do!) 

 

One of our volunteers will collect the sugar from your school at a time convenient for you.  Our collection schedule normally gets quite hectic in the last few weeks of term, so we would be very grateful if you could let us know as soon as possible if you would like to help, and we can make arrangements to suit you.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read our Appeal.   We look forward to hearing from you, and hope you will be part of the ever-increasing number of schools who do so much good, (and have so much fun doing it!) by collecting sugar or,  if it is more convenient for you, money, for the homeless at Christmas.   

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Peter and Polly Bowles.

 

B.E.F.A. SCHOOLS CHRISTMAS SUGAR COLLECTION.

  

2004 FACT SHEET

 

 

 

BEFA is a locally founded, locally operated charity with roots in the farming community and a strong commitment to the people of Norfolk.  It has an 18 year history of bringing good food from the people of Norfolk to the homeless.

 

 

BEFA’s mission is simply to help feed the homeless at Christmas, working through established shelters, supported accommodation projects, etc. and with other experienced agencies such as the Salvation Army which have daily contact with the homeless.

 

 

BEFA is a 100% volunteer organization.  There are no paid staff and administration      costs are negligible.  Almost every penny donated goes to purchase food.

Local farmers donate most of the fresh produce – more than 20 pallets in 2003.

Food Wholesalers and Manufacturers donated another 20 pallets of foodstuffs and many more during the course of the year too.

Norfolk school children donate sugar – over 4 tonnes in 2003. 

British Sugar matched the “Silver Spoon” sugar donated by Norfolk schoolchildren in 2003, bringing the total amount of sugar collected and distributed to shelters since last Christmas to over 6 tonnes!

Norfolk families (and Schools) make donations of cash, which is used to purchase the necessary food items (like Turkeys and Christmas Puddings) which have not been donated.  In 2003 this amounted to over£20,000.

Local Charities recognize the importance of our work by sending donations.

Local volunteers donate time, office space, supplies, etc. 

Local businesses help with postage, copying, transportation and warehousing.

 

 

BEFA sends only the food that is needed.  Each homeless project is sent a shopping list of the Christmas foods BEFA can provide.  We ask them to mark the quantities of each food item they expect to need, and add a “wish list” which BEFA attempts to fulfill.   The lists are then collated and we at BEFA work to come up with the quantities of food needed.

 

 

BEFA provided food for more than 3500 meals for the homeless of Norfolk during Christmas 2003.  In addition we sent Lorry loads of food to Cambridgeshire, to Manchester for over 60 homeless projects in the northwest, and one to Crisis in London.  All of these lorries were filled to overflowing!

 

 

 

IF YOUR SCHOOL IS ABLE TO HELP,

 OR IF YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL PETER OR POLLY ON 01692 – 407262 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.