A big breakfast jazz style set against the historic Rose Window at St Albans’ Cathedral brought to a close a successful two week fundraising marathon for Christian Aid this week.

The St Albans’ community regularly donates around £30,000 a year to the scheme which this year has focussed on helping families in Bangladesh whose homes are regularly ravaged by floods.

During the breakfast guests tucked into coffee and croissants against a backdrop of jazz, big band and classical music performed by students of Parmiter’s School Sax Quintet and Woodwind Trio.

Afterwards around 200 people headed over to the traditional Marshalswick Christian Aid Market.

Fundraising efforts this year for the initiative, which is Britain’s longest running door-to-door fundraising scheme, included an “In or Out” European concert at Marshalswick Baptist Church and a series of “Big Brekkies” round the city.

In addition some 300 volunteers collected donations from 20 participating churches.

Patricia Kataria, Christian Aid Week co-ordinator for St Albans Cathedral said that the community had once again made her proud.

She said: “We have again shown, that together, we can make a tremendous difference to people’s lives.

“If we raise the same amount of money as we usually do, that will generate enough money to raise 120 homes above flood waters in Bangladesh. That is a big community minded achievement.”