FUNDRAISERS are gearing up for a major charity appeal to support vulnerable communities around the world.

Every year, Sue and Barry Pettit and Jenny Kwee from the Truro Christian Aid Group organise a coffee morning as part of Christian Aid Week. Last year, they raised around £1,000 towards helping the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.

This year’s event will take place at Summerville, Crescent Road, Truro on Saturday, May 31 from 10am until noon, with a stall selling all kinds of goods and a raffle.

“We enjoy getting together with friends and neighbours for our coffee morning,” said Sue. “Every year, people across Britain and Ireland have seven days to make a difference and support their global neighbours, in a celebration of hope for a fairer world.”

This year’s appeal is focussing on work in Guatemala in Central America, where climate change is causing the seasons to intensify and shift erratically. As a result, farming communities must battle severe floods and, more recently, ferocious heatwaves. Water sources are drying up and vital crops are failing, plunging families into hunger and poverty.

Despite the challenges they are facing, the unstoppable power of hope drives people to look for ways to push back.

Christian Aid has been working with organisations like Coordinación de ONG y Cooperativas to offer training and tools so farmers can diversify and grow more resilient crops, build water recycling systems and create organic fertiliser.

This year, Christian Aid celebrates 80 years of fighting poverty and injustice all over the world, supporting people of every faith and none. To find out more about projects like these and how to get involved, visit www.christianaid.org.uk