IT TAKES A VILLAGE….
How well do you know your neighbours? Clare Steele knew hers pretty well, but even she was astounded at how they came together to bring a remarkable idea to life…
Community spirit in action
Turning on the TV, I watched the news, knowing I would be horrified at what I saw. It was the summer of 2016 when the refugee crisis was the big story. Every day there were more distressing images of refugees risking their lives to find a friendly country where they could make a fresh start. Who could forget the heartbreaking images of the little boy washed up on a Turkish beach?
Although it was almost unbearable to watch, I couldn’t turn away. I was haunted by what was happening so close to home and I wondered what contribution I could possibly make. My work involves delivering secular funerals and also traditional storytelling, meaning I perform stories in my own style to an audience. I didn’t think any of my skills could be used to make a difference to the refugees. I felt helpless in my safe, comfortable home, tucked away in a quaint Cotswolds village. I’d never been happier since moving to Avening 18 years before. Living in a small village may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I moved around a lot when I was younger and felt truly at home bringing up
‘Sometimes it felt as though the whole of Avening was in my front room’
my children in a place where friendship is a given and where you’re never short of a helping hand in times of need.
One evening, an email popped up from Ross, who lives directly opposite me. He’d sent me a story he’d written and, knowing about my work as a storyteller, he wondered if there was anything I could do with it. Ross had told the story of his son, Henry, who had been to the Greek island of Lesbos to help refugees placed in makeshift camps before the authorities decided what to do with them. A student at Exeter University, he’d spent his summer break volunteering there, and when he returned to see his parents, he told them what he’d seen. That same night, Ross had tapped out the story on his laptop, telling how Henry had worked tirelessly, chopping vegetables to make enough soup for 10,000 refugees every day. The story was written for children and contained poignant scenes about Henry dancing with the younger refugees and being taught how to season the soup by the older women in the camps.
Reading his words, it was clear to me his story could make a difference and raise awareness of the refugees’ plight. I was certain it would make a great children’s book, a way for them to make sense of the unsettling footage they must have been watching on TV. Ross had also sent the book to our village friend Pip Morris, who was equally impressed. A designer, she loved drawing and said she would like to have a go at illustrating the book. Meanwhile, Henry, who was not one to seek the limelight, gave us his blessing to try to do something with the story.
Buoyed with enthusiasm, things moved quickly. Within the week, Pip and I met at my house with another village friend, Anna, a publisher. We decided we would do our best to publish a children’s book with proceeds going to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a charity close to Henry’s heart. From then on, we would meet weekly at each other’s houses.
There was always the core group of Ross, Pip and me, but depending on what we were discussing, there would be as many as 15 people. Sometimes it felt as though the whole village was in my front room. Pip’s beautiful drawings made the story come alive, strengthening our resolve.
The village response was astounding. Everyone agreed to give their expertise freely and we each had our role to play. There was Biddy, who ran the local choir and agreed to write the music to go with the CD we wanted to release with the book. John had a recording studio and recorded me performing the story. Then there was Michelle, who runs a PR consultancy, who wrote letters asking for sponsorship. A bookkeeping friend did our accounts. Whenever we came up with something we needed, someone could always think of someone else in the village who could help.
Avening is surrounded by royalty – Princess Anne lives just up the road; Prince Charles is a few miles away and plenty of well-known actors have settled in the village. When Ross saw Richard E Grant in the local pub and asked him to have a look at the story, he read it, said he loved it and happily provided an endorsement for the back cover. We were thrilled.
We discovered we would need to raise £3,000 to get 5,000 books published and 10,000 CDS pressed, but again the village amazed us with its generosity. All the village companies, from the pubs to the estate agent and even the local tree surgeon, donated money to help us out.
For a while, the whole project took over my life, and it was exhausting. I had no idea of the effort it would take to get a book published – there were so many small yet time-consuming decisions to make. I would talk to Ross and Pip every day and we continued to meet up with other villagers frequently. Finally, the first books rolled off the press and it was incredible to hold a copy of Ten Thousand Bowls Of Soup in my hands. Everyone involved with its creation felt quite emotional. We had an official book launch and it was lovely to see the community celebrate what we’d achieved.
Since then, we’ve been working hard to get the book into shops and schools. We’d like to sell 10,000 copies and eventually get it stocked in every school library. Our aim is to raise £50,000 for MSF. I’ve become involved in refugee charity work, attending events in London and Bristol, and I always take some books with me to sell.
Over the past year the residents of Avening have been incredibly generous of time and spirit. It’s been wonderful to witness a tiny village unite to make a huge difference to the lives of complete strangers.
These days, we’re always hearing that no one looks out for each other any more, but it’s just not true. It’s been humbling and truly inspiring to discover that community spirit is very much alive and well.
Ten Thousand Bowls Of Soup is available to buy now from Amazon and via tenthousandbowlsofsoup.com for £7.99, CD £4.99, or £10 for both