An Andover pub has been raising funds to support the armed forces with a D-Day commemoration.
The Foresters Arms, on London Street, raised £100 to donate to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) with a range of activities commemorating June 6, including guessing the weight of a themed cake.
Landlady Anne Evans told the Advertiser: “I would like to thank Yvonne for her wonderful cake and for all those who joined in to raise the wonderful total.”
D-Day commemorates the day in which allied forces, including the UK, USA, Canada and Free French, landed across a variety of beaches in Normandy in 1944 as the war entered into its final year, pushing back the Nazis from occupied Europe.
At the Foresters Arms, a cake featuring the image of soldiers landing on the beaches of Normandy and decorated by union flags was donated by Yvonne Sullivan, with pubgoers guessing the weight of the cake. The pub is no stranger to fundraising, regularly hosting a variety of events to support charities.
The cake was won by Claire Gibson, the event having raised £60, who then decided to auction the cake to raise further funds on the day. The winning bidder was Christopher Chisholm, who shared the cake with everyone at the pub.
The £100 raised collectively will now go to the SSAFA, which works to support and relieve need from both serving members of the armed forces and veterans, as well as their families, through a variety of methods including medical support, counselling and advice for those who need it.
The news follows that of Charlotte Eadie, an Andover woman currently working as the Community Development Manager of the charity, being awarded an MBE for services to the armed forces through her former role as Editor of Army & You.
Ms Eadie told the Advertiser that she was “thrilled” to have been given the honour, and that she hopes to continue her work supporting armed forces families at the SSAFA.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here