History of CrafTeas 'n' Cakes

Last year I started to have a craft and cakes 'do' at our house to raise money for street children in Kolkata, India. I have been asked many times how and why it began so I thought I would put it here...just for the record! My daughter Amy went on a mission trip from our church, Canford Heath Baptist Church to Kolkata in India, she worked in various areas but the one that impacted her most were the children who live on the streets, under lamp posts, blankets and were just so poor. The Good News School bus picked the children up in the morning and took them to the school where they had a wash, clean clothes, a meal (cooked by the teacher before he drove the bus to pick them up) and gave them an education and some hope for the future. At the end of the day they were taken back to their pavements and so to their families again.


One story that shocked me was that during school one day the children made little shakers out of plastic cups filled with rice to shake and make a noise with. When the bus dropped the children off, one of the mothers of the children tore open the cup and got the rice out, ....it was food for the family that night. The team were wishing they had filled the cups up to the top when they saw this

Well, all this got me thinking about what I could do and thinking about using the gifts God has given me. One thing I love to do is to sew and be creative. As Dave and I travel around I am constantly scribbling ideas down, sketches of views and vistas I see and wanting to make a picture of them so it seemed a good idea to use this and so the first sale came about in 2010 just before the team went to India to raise money for craft stuff to take with them and use in the schools. We bought puppets for them to do puppet shows with (they loved them so much, they were left out in Kolkata in the school!) lots of other stuff was taken too.

The first sale was on my birthday at the end of May and was supposed to be a garden fair but had to be hastily regrouped indoors as it poured with rain the whole time! However we made £358 which was so much more than I thought we could make! If you look back in the blog to May 2010 you will see pictures of it.

The cakes were as popular (if not more so!) Family and friends got involved with cake making, washing up, etc..
As Christmas approached I felt it would be good to do another sale and was joined by my very good friend Suzie. Suzie and I are both Christians, we used to go to the same Church and we work together as palliative care nurses in a local hospice. Suzie has a special interest in summer camps in Romania for children and this is something I believe her church supports, I will try and get Suzie to write about it on here one day! So it was decided that we would both make and create and divide the proceeds between the two causes.

The Christmas sale was held in Suzie's home as she has a bigger lounge than we do and made £745 which was a staggering amount, it was divided between the two causes equally. (See blog entries for November 2010)

In June 2011 we had our 2nd garden fair...and yes, it was in the garden this time with blue skies! Suzie had other things she was involved with at that time, so it was just my stuff on sale but Suzie still helped me on the day. (Pictures in blog in June 2011)BMS India were given the proceeds which came to £650 which included some which went to Freeset which is also based in Kolkata and gives ex prostitute women a job making bags and gets them off the streets and gives them an income for them and their families.

So, in a nutshell that's the story so far. God willing, Suzie and I will carry on although we do probably need a bigger venue soon!

Amy, my daughter is praying and talking with various people about sometime doing more work out in India. Suzie and I are continuing for now with sewing, making and baking.

I would like to thank all the people who make this possible and give their time and talents freely, My husband Dave, who puts up with my fabric everywhere, sets the tables up and washes up and does more than I could ever say, my children, Amy, who makes amazing cup cakes. Will and Ed who help at the sales when they are home, Kat and Naomi, the two girlfriends who also get involved in selling. My mum who makes beatiful hand made lace items. Dr John and Mary who serve tea and cakes and do endless washing up, and others who willingly provide cakes, wash up and do so much . THANK YOU ALL!!!!

Well the next sale is on this Saturday at Suzies home so watch this space...right...off to make some cakes now! Malteser cakes I think................