The people of Preston helped soldiers and sailors in lots of different ways during the First World War.
One way was by volunteering to help in the Preston Station Free Buffet. This means that they gave up their time without being paid. What can you find out from the newspaper clipping about the people who helped with the buffet?
All of this tea cost a lot of money. Volunteers were also needed to help fundraise for the buffet. One of the ways that money was raised was by selling flags. One sailor liked this idea so much that he took some back to his ship and raised £4 – about £350 in today’s money!
A lady called Ada Whiteside noticed that lots of soldiers and sailors were not only hungry and thirsty, but injured.
The hospitals did not have enough walking sticks to help them all. Ada decided to collect walking sticks to donate to hospitals that helped wounded soldiers and sailors.
She and her sisters went from house-to-house collecting people’s old walking sticks.
Glossary
Buffet - A meal where people serve themselves at different times or a serving counter on a train or at a station
Donate - To give money or goods without expecting anything in return
Fundraise - To collect money for a cause
Volunteer - Someone who gives their time to do a job or help a cause without being paid