By Shoshana Willetts

Community Unity Projects in Aylesbury held their annual 1940s event on 5th February 2012. This community event raises fund for the charity 'Help For Heroes' (H4H). Shoshana Willetts reports...

Thank you to all who prayed for our 1940s event - we certainly needed and felt your prayers! We thank Yahweh for enabling us to serve our local community in this way - bringing His face to the crowd.

Despite the snow falling, and stopping a good proportion of people attending, over 80 guests were still able to make it. The atmosphere was great.

My husband Richard opened with the memory of when people were queuing to pray outside St Paul's Cathedral, London, during the war years and how prayer changed things. 

Dove Dance Group transported the audience to the blitz years - air raid sirens, doodlebugs, finishing with a portrayal of John McCrae’s Poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The audience was visibly moved and Dove Dance members did H4H proud.

A short film was shown explaining the work of H4H and in particular the work of Tedworth House - which is a Personnel Recovery and Aassessment Centre for wounded, sick and injured servicemen and women.

The Town Mayor was in attendance and judged the fancy dress - always amazed by the costumes!

All the people that attended the event signed a dedicated ‘Book of Thanks and Encouragement’ for the residents of Tedworth House and all the children drew a picture of courage and heroism which will be put in a presentation folder and sent on to them. Doing this really made us think of the sacrifice some people are paying in serving their country.

Violet Rae , a vintage 1940s singer, wowed the audience and brought the nostalgia of that era to the event.

That old ‘Community Spirit’ was definitely evident as members of the local church and community worked hard behind the scenes serving hot drinks and afternoon tea, supervising the children in the ‘Evacuee Zone’, and playing good old fashioned games from the war years! Huge thanks to all who helped. 

£140 was raised and many said that the event was the best to date.