Raising funds in Taunton

A regular gift can mean that women like Maymuna Salih are provided with specially-bred chickens that lay enough eggs to sell in the local market to provide income for her family's future. [Pieternella Pieterse]

Margaret Litchfield, from the Bishops Lydeard CAFOD group in Taunton, shares her fundraising tips for Focus Africa, and tells us why she thinks the scheme is so important

Most of us joined without knowing very much about CAFOD, but gradually we began to learn about CAFOD’s work and became whole-hearted supporters.

What particularly impressed us was that the funds go directly to partners on the spot to be used in the exact places where the needs are greatest.

There are many excellent charities but we give priority to CAFOD because they give people back their self-respect, helping them to find new ways of making a living and by making it possible for them to work to develop their own countries.

The tried and tested CAFOD box

When we started our group we didn’t know much about fundraising and tried various methods. In the first year we made just over £200 but now we aim at raising £1000 a year.

The easiest way of raising funds on a regular basis is to encourage as many people as possible to have a CAFOD box in their own home. Money comes in throughout the year from this source and came to about £600 last year.

In 1999 we set up a Lottery Syndicate with twelve members. The rule is that every win under £100 goes to CAFOD. Any amount over £100 is shared out equally: half to CAFOD and the other half to the members.

We are still hoping for a big win and in the meantime CAFOD is gaining £10 now and again.

Selling crafts and cards

£7 buys 20kg of seeds in Ethiopia - enough to feed a whole family for one year [CAFOD]

We have a stall of home-made crafts which we take to local events and this brings in about £150 in a year.

The good thing about this is that people who are perhaps housebound can make items in their own home and only one person is needed to run a small stall.

I make greetings cards, some recycled, some new. (It’s a good idea to go to craft fayres and get some ideas for these).

Original cards sell well – and it’s surprising how much I make from selling them to myself throughout the year!

All the funds we raise go to support CAFOD’s Focus Africa appeal. Sometimes we feel too old or too tired to do much but then we think of the desperate need of so many in Africa and that encourages us to keep doing what we can.