This September, we are hosting a very special Slow Table event with our friends at The Grange Winery in Hampshire. We’ll be serving delicious Syrian food from Imad of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen all in aid of Action Syria.
Action Syria is a charity we began supporting in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Read on to find out more about the amazing work they do across the region.
It was during a cycling odyssey of epic proportions that Oli Broom fell in love with Turkey and Syria. On his way from London to Brisbane he spent several weeks exploring the region, and discovered that while the landscapes of the Taurus Mountains were staggeringly lovely, their ancient lost cities and mountain villages breathtaking, it was the deep friendships forged with the people which stayed with him. Years later, he is building new friendships in the Taurus Mountains, this time with his team of Slow Cyclist guides in Turkey.
When earthquakes hit south eastern Turkey in February 2023, they devastated the region where many of our Slow Cyclist guides were brought up. Oli wanted to support his Turkish friends in some way, and partnered with Action Syria (then the Hands Up Foundation) to do so. This charity was founded by four British friends who had been living in Damascus when conflict escalated in 2012, forcing them to leave. Back in London, they didn’t want their Syrian friends to be forgotten, and so started hosting supper clubs to raise funds. Groups of friends, old and new, would gather once a month to eat delicious food – Syrian or otherwise – and talk. It was a gentle way of spreading the word about the dire need experienced by Syrians, while eating and drinking together. Other inspired fundraising events followed: Action Syria Carols, Recipes and Runs. All the money raised went directly to supporting vulnerable rural communities impacted by the ongoing conflict in Syria: providing healthcare for children who were chronically malnourished, and prosthetic limbs for many thousands of those injured in the war.
Since the 2023 earthquake, Action Syria has been providing emergency primary healthcare, physical therapy and rehabilitation in many different areas; filling the gaps where experts on the ground indicate help is needed. In 2023 Oli donated 2% of the revenue generated by The Slow Cyclist’s trips in Turkey to Action Syria. And he wants to do more.
Right now, the emergency in Syria is more desperate than ever: 16.7 million people are urgently in need of humanitarian aid – up from 15.3 million last year – and seven million of these are children. Yet Syria is barely mentioned in the international news, and the World Food Programme has scaled down its funding. Action Syria is continuing to work with partners on the ground to deliver aid swiftly where it’s needed; providing long term support for those whose lives are still ruined by the earthquake, but it’s a struggle.
It’s easy to feel helpless when you’re looking at these kinds of crises: 16.7 million people seems so overwhelming. But here’s a way we can get together and make a positive impact: on Thursday 5th September, Oli and the Slow Cyclist team are hosting a feast of Syrian food at The Grange Winery in support of Action Syria. There will be fine English wines and fizz (from The Grange’s estate) special guests and speakers, and a menu of delicious Syrian cuisine created by Imad, chef and founder of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. Imad’s story is miraculous. A Syrian refugee who came to UK on a small boat after the conflict started, he eventually started a restaurant in Carnaby Street, London, building on his background of successful juice bars and falafel restaurants in Damascus. The menu looks sublime. This promises to be an outstanding evening of late summer pleasure. Do join us.
If you’d like to join us at The Slow Table on September 5th 2024, you can purchase tickets here.
