A COFFEE morning in aid of Syrian refugees is being staged by three churches in Guiseley.

Guiseley Baptist Church, St Oswald’s Church and Guiseley Methodists are hosting the event to raise money for Christian Aid’s Refugee Crisis Appeal. The event will take place at Guiseley Methodist Church on Saturday.

Micky Munroe, pastor of the Baptist Church, said: "Guiseley Churches have a long tradition of hospitality and we hope that people from all three churches and the wider community will drop in for coffee and make a donation."

Katherine Hogg, Christian Aid regional co-ordinator for West Yorkshire, added: "We encourage the people of Guiseley and West Yorkshire to support the Refugee Crisis Appeal and help us respond to the immediate needs of refugees on the move and in the overcrowded, dangerous camps of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.

"Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the country’s conflict and 50 per cent of the Syrian population are now displaced, with more than 4.1 million people forced to seek safety outside the country."

Organisers of the event say donations from Guiseley could help provide much-needed basic essentials, including nourishing food, warm blankets and healthcare.

Christian Aid’s head of Middle East, Frances Guy, said: "Countries in the region are hosting an overwhelming number of refugees.

"A further major worry, both in Europe and the Middle East, is that winter is coming, which means cold and illness for those without adequate protection."

The churches hosted a similar event in 2004 in response to the Boxing Day Tsunami, when the staggering sum of £14,950 was raised.

Andrew Atkins, of Guiseley Methodist Church, said: "As a new minister in this area, it’s great to know Guiseley Churches can respond to global events by working together, and that local people respond so generously to this kind of crisis."

The Methodist Church in Oxford Road, Guiseley, will open its doors for the coffee morning at 10am to noon.

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