Parish priests set for rations challenge to highlights refugees' plight

Rev. Dominic Melville and Rev. Katryn Leclézio have committed themselves to spending a week eating only the rations that would be available in a Syrian refugee camp to raise funds to support refugees.

The two parish priests, who are vicars in the Parish of Halas serving Halesowen and Cradley, have been send their packs from the Ration Challenge, which runs between June 13 and June 19.

Each pack contains chickpeas, lentils, rice, beans and coupons for vegetable oil, more rice and small amounts of protein and amounts to 1,700 calories per day.

Ms Leclézio has raised £1,000, which will support Syrian refugees in camps in Jordan, and said it was an amazing cause to help.

She said: "It’s going to be a difficult challenging living on chickpeas, rice and beans and 170g veg and 120g protein for a week, but I’m inspired to know that people’s generosity will help literally hundreds of others."

Mr Melville has raised more than £500 which, alongside Ms Leclézio's amount, will keep at least 10 refugees fed for the years.

He said he was amazed and humbled by the generosity of people's response and was prepared to do the challenge to highlight what less-fortunate people have to live on.

He said: "I like my food, I like choosing and cooking it, and I like plenty of it and I drink tea till it comes out of my ears.

"But to spend just one week on the meagre rations of the Challenge feels like a small thing to do compared with the need other people live with day by day, year on year.

"We both realise it really is going to be a challenge: eking out a handful of flour here and half a cup of rice there, wondering how to make the benefit of one tin of kidney beans last the week."

To find out more about the ration challenge and to make a donation, go to rationchallenge.org.uk.