Scones raise cash for Zambian kids

At this month’s opening, Sukie Barber of Hawick passed a fantastic new milestone, marking 25,000 scones sold since she and her husband Bill began selling in the town.

And with £1 per scone sold going to charity, that means the couple have sent just over £25,000 to Zambia.

Since first opening the shop in Selkirk’s Tower Street, the couple have raised money for children in Nepal and Zambia. Six of the couple’s eight children, aged 19 to 36, have visited Africa on volunteering expeditions, inspiring their parents to support programmes they’ve seen at work there.

On the day of the pop-up shop, Sukie gets up at 6am to cook three batches of scones for ultimate freshness. The rest are cooked in the shop, something she says her customers love.

All the money taken now goes to a feeding program at a school in Zambia run by Vincent Luwizhi which feeds up to 450 children daily.

Sukie and her pal Jess Talbot have often wondered if they would ever make the trip and see for themselves what goes on and what improvements might be made ... and this year plans were made and money for travelling was raised through sponsored walks.

Bill told us this week: “Right now, Sukie and Jess are somewhere in the African skies enroute to Zambia.

“In the hold of their plane, their bags are stretched to their physical and weight limit with little gifts to delight and others to help with school work, much kindly donated. These include hundreds of bouncy balls, as Sukie is determined to introduce the game of jacks to the children of Zambia.

“At Vincent’s request Jess and Sukie have taken lots of needles and thread in order to teach some of the local ladies the basics of sewing.

“As a compulsive cook, Sukie hopes to take part in making the children’s staple food, which is a porridge known as Sudsa, prepared by boiling maize flour water in vast vats and stirring it with what, in the photographs sent, looks like a canoe paddle, and also plans to buy ingredients to make jam and batter for drop scones/pancakes and feed the kids as near as possible on Sukie’s scones.

“She is also hugely grateful to all the regular customers and helpers at the pop-up shop and to those whose generous donations will make it possible to buy such things as drugs for the children’s health and material for the sewing project once in Zambia. Thank you all.”