Folk Night raises more than £2,300 for Palestinian Women's Education

A FOLK NIGHT hit all the right notes to raise more than £2,300 for the Saddleworth Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund.

More than 100 supportive attendees gathered at Friezland Church Hall, Greenfield, for the sold-out ‘Strings of Solidarity for Falastin (Palestine)’ event.

Bernie Murphy’s captivating vocals, accompanied by John Chandler on guitar, and the six-piece band Northern Threads delivered powerful musical performances with a mixture of uplifting songs and heartfelt ballads that highlighted both Palestinian women’s aspirations and local historical struggles.

The evening was MC’d by committee member Maggie Magner who updated the audience on the horrific struggles facing the students currently supported by the Fund in Gaza.

This included the terrible news that of the 64 students, five had been killed, a number had received life changing injuries and 15 were still unaccounted for.

There were generous audience donations to the raffle and homemade food prepared by local women supporters who were unable to attend on the night.

“It was a lovely evening of warm camaraderie,” said Catherine Holland, SPWSF chair.

“We are grateful to all our supporters who show their solidarity with the Palestinian people in these tragic times.

“A big thank you to everyone who made the evening a success including musicians, stall holders and caterers.

“Our work is not just a charity but an act of solidarity, supporting and equipping young women to access education, support their communities and seeking positive futures for their own daughters.”

The Saddleworth Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund is part of a registered charity that has been in operation since 2007 and has supported several hundred students in Gaza and the West Bank to achieve their dream of going to university and getting a degree.

Currently, funds are supporting 13 women in the West Bank, while money designated for students in Gaza is being held until educational infrastructure is restored.

Dr Mona El Farra, the Fund’s founder, said: “The time will come when we can again focus on the educational needs of women in Gaza and across Palestine.

|It is so important that you continue to raise funds so we are ready to help women gain education, when it becomes possible to do so.”