2014 Christmas Fayre - Posted 18th Dec 2014

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Stalls offering exciting products, games of skill and chance, seasonal foods, a Grand Raffle and live musical entertainment.
All of these were found at the Anglican Church Christmas Fayre held in aid of local charities, on Wednesday 3rd December at the Monte Liza Wedding Venue in Paphos.
Attractions included a Grand Raffle with a first prize of €300 and a variety of stalls offering local homemade preserves, pickles, cakes and baked products; Christmas decorations; gifts; craft items; books; plants; nearly new clothing; bric-a-brac and much, much more.
There was a range of traditional games of skill and chance and a large selection of hot, cold and seasonal foods to tempt peoples’ taste buds.

• This year, after expenses, some €8000 was raised, a little down on previous occasions, but still a creditable amount given the economic conditions. All the proceeds are donated to local charities. These are:-
• Amargeti Day Centre for the Elderly
• Association for the Hard of Hearing Children of Paphos
• Association of Parents & Friends of Children with Heart Diseases
• Cancer Patients Support, Paphos
• Cyprus League for Chest Diseases (Paphos Branch)
• Cyprus Red Cross Society (Paphos Branch) – Children’s Home
• Cyprus Samaritans
• Friends’ Hospice Support Group – Paphos
• Gideon International – Paphos Branch
• Isaiah 58 Ministry – HIV / AIDS Sufferers
• “Katafiyio” Retreat House (Maggie Le-Roy
• Kivotos Foundation Fund – the Impaired Children of Paphos
• MARCH (Military & Retired Cyprus Holidays for Heroes)
• Mission to Seafarers
• Paphos and Area Alzheimer’s Support Group
• Paphos General Hospital – medical equipment
• Polis Hospital (H.O.P.E.) – medical equipment
• Pregnancy Care Centre Nicosia (Young Ladies in Distress)
• Riding for the Disabled
• Stigma – aid for sexual trafficking victims
• Virgin Mary Home – Chlorakas

Christmas Fayres or Markets are traditionally held during the four weeks of Advent. Their origins can be traced back to the Vienna December Market first held in 1294.
Our own Fayre has grown from a very small beginning some 20 years ago to being one of the largest ‘one day’ (less than four hour) fundraising events, certainly in the West of Cyprus.
The Fayre is organised and run by unpaid volunteers from the three churches in the parish of the Anglican Church of Paphos – St. Luke’s, Prodromi, St. Stephen’s, Tala and Ayia Kyriaki, Kato Paphos. Most people are retired British ex-pats aged between 50 years and 90+.
On the day, upwards of 100 people are involved manning the stalls and attractions, catering, security, entrance, car parking, first aid and providing general help. Setting up takes all day on the day before. Planning for the Fayre begins around May each year, booking venue and attractions, collecting or making items, obtaining advertisements from supporting local companies, arranging publicity and so on. Fresh consumables – cakes (including traditional items) savouries, preserves, pickles etc are obviously made much nearer to the event. (One helper alone bakes more than 200 mince pies each year)
The Band of the Cyprus Police (some 30 musicians and vocalists) who are all full-time serving police officers played from 1 pm – 2 pm, entertaining with a range of seasonal tunes and songs. They are a popular attraction and have performed for us for a number of years.
We now begin to look forward to the 2015 event and anticipate that the hoped-for improvement in the national economy will result in increased funds being raised.

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