A CRACKER has started the Christmas season with a bang in Rugby.
Working hard serving food and drinks. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4925002MMR2
The charity fund-raising Crackerteria cafe is now open in Rugby Central Shopping Centre, serving lunch, home made cake, coffee, tea, and hot and cold snacks.
The cafe is being run by volunteers from the Rugby Christmas Cracker charity to raise money for Fashion With a Heart Creations, which supports training in tailoring skills to the poorest people in India and Nepal.
The venue is hosting a sale of clothes from Fashion With a Heart, and a fund-raising sale of paintings by local artist Joe Douse.
Rugby Christmas Cracker organiser Katie Thomas said: “Since 1991, Rugby Christmas Cracker has been raising funds to help improve the lives of disadvantaged people in some of the poorest places in the world.
“The charity puts all the money raised by their sales towards helping the poorest and most marginalised women in India and Nepal to learn tailoring skills so they can earn a living and support their families.
“Last year we raised a fantastic £15,700 for Fashion With a Heart Creations, and it would brilliant if we could beat that in 2025.”
The Crackerteria is also hosting a tool store run by Rugby-based charity Tools with a Mission (TWAM), which sends refurbished tools to communities in need in Africa to create livelihoods and change lives.
The charity is selling tools which cannot be sent to Africa to raise funds for the expensive process of shipping overseas.
Volunteers from the Tools With a Mission charity are selling refurbished tools at the Crackerteria. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4925002MMR3. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4925002MMR3
This year, the charity plans to send 23 boxes – filled with refurbished tools such as sewing machines, donated computers, and power tools – to Africa.
Crackerteria is open Mondays to Saturdays until Christmas eve in the old Boots store in Rugby Central, and is also taking orders for ‘Cracker A La Carte’ evening meals. Contact [email protected] or visit www.rugbycracker.org.uk for more information.
TWAM’s tool store will be open Wednesdays to Saturdays at 10am-2pm until December 20. Visit www.twam.uk for more information.
