Nearly £1,300 was raised on the first ‘Bratton Big Night Out for Good Causes’ evening on Saturday 5th July.
The event, held at Bratton Baptist Church, to support the work of FOMO (Friends of Mulanje Orphans) took on a Malawian theme to coincide with Malawi’s 50th anniversary of independence. The church was awash with the red, black and blue – the colours of the country’s national flag which was hung over the entrance of the church drive.
The evening was an informal mix of food and barbecue, live music, a silent auction and a short talk and there was plenty of opportunity to mingle, chat and relax.
During the evening a moving letter was read out from a young woman, who FOMO have supported from an early age when she was orphaned and destined for a life of poverty, lack of education and potentially marriage at the tender age of 14.
The charity supported her through secondary education and onto university where she graduated with a BSc, she is now planning to study for a Masters in special needs education.
The young woman, who some of the church members met on their last visit to Malawi, wrote ‘School has taught me a lot, but FOMO has been the only place I have gotten the most valuable and essential life education one would ever get in life. At FOMO, I have learnt and embraced that there is great value and satisfaction in serving and helping other people especially those in need like orphans, poor people and the elderly. I have also learnt that developing a community requires a person’s commitment, passion and serving without expecting any gains in return. These, among many other things learnt, are the lessons that I have embraced and I would like to always put them into practice not only at FOMO but also in many other communities across the country and Africa in general’.
Neil Griffiths, one of the event organisers said, “The evening was enjoyed by all, it was very informal and we were pleased to welcome friends old and new. Thanks go to all those who supported the evening in, whatever capacity, and we would especially like to thank the Three Daggers in Edington, Pickleberry Café in Bratton and the White Horse Pottery in Westbury who kindly donated auction prizes. We plan to hold another ‘Bratton Big Night Out for Good Causes’ event in the autumn to raise funds for another good cause, so watch this space.”
Proceeds from the evening, which totals nearly £1,300, will go directly to FOMO to help with costs associated with the hostel building fund.
FOMO has recently opened a secondary school but the senior students can often find themselves in dangerous situations, vulnerable to physical attack on the long walk to school which is often up to 10 miles over difficult terrain.
To keep them safe the charity is looking to build, equip and maintain two hostels for the young people. This will provide a safe place of rest after a day at school. These hostels will run during term-time and will offer a quiet sanctuary for a good night’s sleep and the space to do more study in the evening.
If you would like to donate to the FOMO hostel fund, or would like more information on this or any future events please contact: simon@brattonbaptist church.org.uk.
