Egg-cellent appeal response
THREE hundred families across Southport were able to enjoy a sweet treat thanks to kind hearted Easter egg donations by Sefton Council and its project partners.
Businesses and contractors working alongside Sefton Council donated more than 300 eggs to three community-led groups in the Southport area who work to reduce poverty and increase social wellbeing in the area.
The Marine Lake Events Centre Project team, including Sefton Council, Gardiner & Theobald, IPW, AFL and Dowhigh
partnered with Southport Pier contractor AE Yates, who all came together to make the generous donations.
Compassion Acts Southport, Friends of Meols Cop and Lakeside Church oversaw the distribution of Easter eggs to hundreds of families in Southport.
Southport hospitality firm Mikhail Leisure Group, which runs several local businesses including The Grand, the Lord Street Hotel, The Bold, Maverick’s bar, Punch Tarmey’s Irish pub and the Southport Market Bar, alongside the team at The Vincent Hotel, have also given generously to the collection.
A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “Every Easter we approach our partners and contractors to ask them to give something back to our communities and they never fail in their generosity.
“These groups are just some of a number of charities in the area that work tirelessly to provide for families who may otherwise go without.
“Their work is invaluable and they provide a lifeline for many in a difficult time. Last year alone Compassion Acts delivered nearly 4,500 emergency food parcels, with over 200 volunteers giving their time to put together an astonishing 68 tonnes of food for those in need
“Social value and giving back to our communities is a cornerstone of any project we do and those who work with Sefton Council know how passionate we are about making sure our partners share our compassion and desire to help others. We would like to thank all those who have given generously to our 2024 Easter egg appeal and we wish everyone a peaceful and happy bank holiday.”
Rafi was born in 1946 in Kampala, Uganda. Her parents were from what is now Pakistan, which was under British rule at the time. They got married in Kenya, then moved to Uganda. While they lived there, they didn’t involve themselves very much in the Asian community, but instead, they immersed themselves more in the African culture. Rafi is the 5th of 6 girls and 1 boy in her family. Their parents were quite forward thinking at the time, and encouraged their daughters to work towards what they wanted to do, in both their lives and careers.
Rafi went to university in Sudan, studying agriculture. She wanted to go into agrichemistry. This is where she met her husband, who was teaching French in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Rafi and her husband moved to France, where Rafi worked as a secretary in Paris. Together, they had 2 children.
After Rafi and her husband divorced, Rafi moved to Leeds to take care of her mum, who had Alzheimer’s Disease. In her mid to late 40’s, she decided to go back to university to become a lawyer. She then moved to London to study to become a barrister. When she accomplished this, it was unfortunately very difficult for her to find a job. However, she persevered and ended up being involved in well known legal cases. One of her biggest accomplishments was working for the UN in Kosovo for 6 months in her early 50’s.