A spring fundraiser has been held in Sheffield to support the Gaza Emergency Relief Fund in their efforts to raise money for Palestinian families in urgent need.
The event, held at St Andrew’s Church, Broomhall, and organised by Sheffield’s Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), sought donations for essential resources, including food, nappies, clothes, and drinking water.
Julie Pearn, activist for the PSC, said: “Events like these are important because they bring people together not just in social togetherness, but also political togetherness – it’s fantastic how communities which are so vastly different can unite in solidarity for a cause that matters.”
Since October 2023, the fund has raised £350,000, supporting over 10,000 families with hygiene products, clothes, and educational sessions for children.
All items obtained through donations are distributed by volunteers on the ground in highly affected areas such as Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, in the Northern strip.
Leslie Bolton, member of the International Solidarity Movement and Protective Presence For Children Against Settler Violence, said: “We desperately need to get as much money out there as possible, given the circumstances, which are monstrous at the moment, it’s devastating.”
She added: “Any fundraising we can do is absolutely essential and of course it keeps the momentum going and gets people talking.”
The event, which offered free entry, invited attendees to try traditional Palestinian food and engage with informational pamphlets.
Organisers and volunteers also delivered speeches, expressing gratitude and underscoring the need for continued support.
An attendee, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “What’s going on in Gaza, it’s being heavily disregarded, and it’s an immense disservice to anybody suffering, Gazans are people too, and we have a responsibility to take action.”
A total of £1645 was raised for the Sheffield Emergency Gaza Fund, including £130 through the auction of a pot by artist Brian Holland.
Themed pens and pins were sold, alongside raffle tickets, offering further opportunities to support the cause.
Annie O’Gara, member of The Sheffield Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, said: “The donations are a gift, not charity, a gift, and however awful the elites of the world are, here in Sheffield, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Palestine.
“We’ve been treated tonight to delicious food, to clean drinking water, but I think everyone here will know that our brothers and sisters in Gaza haven’t got the same – change is possible, and everyone has a part to play.”