HUNDREDS of people in Banbury joined a family fun day to raise money for flood victims in Pakistan.

Sunrise Multicultural Project hosted the event at Fairway Methodist Church on Saturday, August 28.

Asian food was on sale and activities included a bouncy castle, nail art, face painting, Indian head massage and fair rides.

Assia Bibi, project manager of Sunrise Multicultural Project, said hundreds of people attended the fun day.

Mum-of-one Ms Bibi, 37, from Evenlode, Banbury, who has worked for the Sunrise charity for the past four years, said: “I am originally from Kashmir. The Pakistan flood victims are very close to our hearts here in Banbury, and people want to do everything they can to show support.”

Across Pakistan up to 20 million people are affected by the monsoon floods and about 1,600 have died.

Last Friday, about a million people were evacuated from their homes in Thatta, in the south of the country, after the river Indus burst its banks.

The fun day raised £1,502, but Ms Bibi expects the figure to top £1,800 with pledges.

Ms Bibi said: “Normally we raise about £300 with our fun days. The town’s Rotary Club, which is supporting the fun day, is raising money to buy tents to send to Pakistan, so the money we raise might go towards that.”

Ms Bibi said volunteers from the church, which staged the event for free, helped to run the fun day.

She added: “People have been very supportive and we tried to put on lots of activities that families with young children would really enjoy. It was an excellent turnout – it was brilliant and the community really brought it together.”

The cash raised will be used to buy medicine, clothing and water, with donations to Shelterbox and Islamic Relief.

Ms Bibi said the Sunrise Project, which is backed by Oxfordshire County Council, was continuing to flourish after receiving a £200,000 lottery grant in November to help fund activities for three years.

  • More fundraisers are set to take place across Banbury including at Shifa School, Merton Street, on Sunday, from 1pm. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be a beauty evening, also at the school, from 8.30pm, or, for mothers with young children noon to 3pm on Tuesday, September 7. For information call Yasmin 07878 312073 or Selina on 07789 590454.