Gifts given with thanks to service families

On Wednesday 11^th August at RAF Odiham’s Family Day, Mothers’ Union members from across the Diocese of Winchester distributed free drinks and homemade cake to the family members of serving personnel at the base.

The gift of free tea, coffee, squash and cake, grew out of a desire by local Mothers’ Union members to show their appreciation for everything the RAF gives our country, and the sacrifices made by its personnel and their families as they serve tours of duty overseas.

The event attracted more than 2000 people to share in all sorts of family activities and events, including a flying display featuring the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Home made cakes were the big feature of this feeding of thousands. Thanks to the generosity of many people in local Anglican churches around Odiham, Hartley Wintney and Yateley, and Mothers’ Union supporters from across the Diocese of Winchester, these were given away free, with absolutely no charge or donations to the charity being taken.

Venerable Ray Pentland, RAF Chaplain-in-Chief receiving a free copy of 'Families First' (the magazine resourcing family life published by Mothers' Union) accompanied by Revd Colin Weir, Padre RAF Odiham

18 Mothers’ Union members were able to help serve at this event, but many more had been involved in baking the cakes. Over the previous two days, approximately 100 additional full sized cakes had been collected from as far afield as Southampton, Brockenhurst and Winchester as Mothers’ Union supporters in different parishes had responded with great willingness to this chance to show their appreciation to a sector of the armed services.

1000s of pieces of cake were given away (we ran out of our 1500 paper plates and distributed the rest on platters and paper napkins), 1500 hot drinks were served, and litres of soft drink concentrate were used. Mothers’ Union members were also able to give away 250 free copies of ‘Families First’, the magazine that aims at encouraging stong marriages, good parenting, and an active faith – produced by Mothers’ Union enterprises. Many expressed their surprise at the generosity being shown, and the quality and variety of the cakes (especially the supply of allergy-free cakes), and the up-to-date, helpful material in the magazine.

After all this, just as in the Biblical story of the feeding of the 5000, there was some food left over. The few remaining cakes have been stored carefully and will be used on the Mothers’ Union Family Holiday, and to provide a welcome to mourners at the funeral of a Royal Marine in Yateley. Both of these events take place next week.