Hadleigh United Reformed Church is inviting everyone attending the town's Christmas Fayre this Saturday (4 December) to pop into the church, situated near to the Market Place, for some free seasonal refreshments and activities - plus a chance to take a look at their modern Nativity scene.

The church fellowship is using the contents of a shelter kit from the charity ShelterBox (www.shelterbox.org) to house the baby Jesus and his parents - and to send an important modern message for help.

Church secretary Claire Coster explained: "It's easy to forget that Jesus was born into poverty and soon became a refugee fleeing persecution.

"Of course, we felt it important, as we always do, to have a Nativity scene in the church, but this time to also draw attention both to the desperate plight of so many who are currently affected by natural and human-made catastrophes and the excellent work being done by ShelterBox to provide immediate practical support."

ShelterBox's mission is summed up as: "Recovery starts with shelter. Having somewhere dry and warm to sleep, to prepare meals and be with your family is vital for starting the long process of rebuilding your life.

"Emergency shelter offers privacy and helps to preserve your dignity. It offers protection from the elements, animals and disease. It helps keep communities together. It can help to bring back a sense of normality, allowing children to go back to school."

Central to ShelterBox's emergency relief is a large green box containing all of the essentials that a family might need when they have lost or have had to leave their own homes.

Typically, a ShelterBox contains a family-sized tent, ground sheets and blankets, a stove and cooking utensils, tools such as saws and hammers, solar-powered torches and a bag of toys for children.

Hadleigh United Reformed Church is aiming to raise about £600 to fund a shelter box for a family in need. Each shelter box is numbered, and the church hopes to be able to report back to the community with some details as to how it is helping a family recover from the terrible situation they find themselves in.

In the church, Mary and Joseph are represented by manikins. Baby Jesus has been placed in the shelter box which is where families store their most precious things because the box is large, made from strong plastic and offers protection from the elements.

Jan Dicks, another member of Hadleigh United Reformed Church added: "We are grateful to EACH shop for the loan of one manikin and Papillon Menswear for the loan of the other. The event is also being supported by the Eastern Synod of the United Reformed Church with a grant towards expenses."

Hadleigh United Reformed Church will be open on Saturday 4 December from 4pm until 9pm during the Christmas Fayre in Hadleigh. There will be free craft activities for children from 4pm until 7 pm. The Ansell Centre will be open for refreshments of tea and coffee.

During the last two weeks of term, local primary schools have been invited to visit the ShelterBox Nativity. So far, four classes have booked to come.

The pupils will be able to see the ShelterBox Nativity, watch a video about the relief efforts carried out by the charity, complete a sheet designed to help them think more about it and listen to a story.

The Church will also be inviting local groups who use our premises to view the scene. For further information, please contact: [email protected]

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