Inverclyde residents brave floods for Christian Aid

A Christian Aid fundraising coffee morning in Greenock Westburn Church was one of the few events that managed to go ahead on Saturday in the face of a month's rainfall in one day.

Members of the public turned up to raise vital cash for the aid organisation, which supports communities living with poverty, conflict, famine and drought.

By the end of the day the Greenock fundraisers had helped bring this year's annual total to £3,500.

Christian Aid Greenock branch treasurer Simon Hutton, who is also a member of Westburn Church, said: "We decided to go ahead with the coffee morning and we would like to thank all of those who came along, it was a great turnout.

"It also brought home to us that there are people much worse off than us, who face flooding and other disasters and that is what Christian Aid is all about."

The Greenock branch of Christian Aid is supported by a number of congregations including St Ninian's Greenock, St Margaret's, Lyle Kirk, three local United Reformed Churches and Westburn.

Simon, who has been involved for the last seven years, said: "I came to the decision that you can go to church for an hour and sing hymns, that is fine.

"But what would I do for the other 167 hours a week to live what the gospel is all about?

"It is about loving your neighbour and that includes those all over the world. There is suffering here but I think we still have to look after and support people in other parts of the world.

"There is a lot of wealth in this world but sadly it is misappropriated and belongs to the few."

Simon runs the Greenock Christian aid fundraising committee with chairman John Clark.

Christian Aid supports a wealth of projects across the world, working in 29 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The Greenock organisers have raised thousands of pounds over the years with a collection in May followed by a coffee morning.