Charity and community shop team up to raise money for people in need in Stevenage and Zimbabwe

A community cafe and a charity shop joined forces on Saturday to bring people in Stevenage together to support those in need on their doorsteps and further afield.

Among many activities, children could get their face’s painted, play on a bouncy castle and try their hand at sand art.

And the adults weren’t left out either – they could indulge in a burger or two while they browsed the shops’ summer clearance sale.

One of the organisers, Stacy Gibb, said: “It was brilliant and really busy, especially for an August event.

“It was held to help fund a mission going to Zimbabwe in January. We are now well over half way there to being able to take 17 orphans and their carers to Victoria Falls for a once in a lifetime trip.

“Even for the children to stay overnight in a bed will be a treat for them as in the orphanage the boys all sleep on the floor and the girls all share one bed.”

Stacy founded Kadoma Kidz Charity Shop and Community Space with her husband Phil earlier this year.

The Christian charity works to raise money for disadvantaged children in the Zimbabwean city and is continually fundraising to improve their quality of life.

Just a few doors down from the charity in Willows Link is social enterprise Pod53.

It is run by volunteers and gives people who have educational or social difficulties, including ex-offenders, the chance to get valuable work experience, and it helped run the activities on the day with the aim of ploughing all the money raised back into the community.

There are still places available for the trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Anyone interested should contact Stacey via the Kadoma Kidz Facebook page.