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LIFE AND SOUL SPECIAL CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID W Planning for this year’s Christian Aid Week is already well under way and, says Kate Tuckett, it’s an opportunity for churches and communities to rise to the challenge of giving their 2012 fundraising efforts a big boost Christian aid Week is an opportunity to stand together and celebrate the possibility for change in our own communities and in parts of the world where mere survival may seem to be a struggle. the current economic climate means that many churches are having to be increasingly creative with their fundraising efforts and to ‘think outside the envelope’. Communities up and down Britain and ireland are rising to the challenge and achieving remarkable things together. a Christian aid Week committee in Gateshead had seen a big drop in their income and members were feeling apprehensive about going out collecting. so Malcolm Meek, the local organiser, got representatives from nearby churches together, and they thought about how to get people excited about the Christian aid Week collection. the committee, drawn from different churches, set themselves a target, sat down with a big map and worked out which streets were already covered. they put up a list at the back of their churches, indicating a meeting point, and went out together, blitzing the streets that weren’t covered. Working as a team turned the whole process around. Malcolm explains: ‘We found that people were more interested in going out in a group than on their own. they like the companionship and chatting.’ People came back night after night, and after they’d finished the collecting, they’d head to the pub. anne Lindsley, a long-term collector, says: ‘having been a collector for years and years on my own, i was finding it depressing at times. But going out as a highly visible group is so much more rewarding and fun. i went out every night!’ the teamwork paid off, and they went on to exceed their target. Auction appeal Charlotte rothwell from London organises a different kind of event. her Christian Aid/Antoinette Powell It’s tIme to thInk outsIde the envelope church has traditionally hosted an annual art show during Christian aid Week, with a preview evening that included a raffle. Charlotte wanted to broaden the appeal of the event, and get new people involved with an established event, so she replaced the raffle with an auction. it’s been an inspired way of getting the community involved. Local businesses were generous and new people were drawn in to the event. ‘it was a two-way thing,’ explains Charlotte. Local organisations received valuable promotion, and the auction raised nearly £2,000, with no start-up costs for the church. ‘i wanted to re-engage people in a different way, and be creative,’ she says. Charlotte firmly believes in the power that local community can have for change, but says that this ‘needs people to get stuck in’. Coming together for change real change can take place when we’re willing to get stuck in and work with those around us. Christian aid Week 2012 tells the story of the people of Gbap (pronounced Bap), a small farming town 20 Christian Aid News
WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN AID WEEK CHRISTIAN IN FOCUS ChrIsTIan aId Week 2012 will feature the amazing work of the people of Gbap, in sierra leone. supported by Christian aid partner the Methodist Church of sierra leone, communities are using new fishing and farming techniques to work their way to a brighter future. By becoming a Christian aid volunteer speaker or teacher ahead of Christian aid Week 2012, you will be helping to spread this story of hope far and wide. Find out more at christianaid.org.uk/volunteer Let’s give the tools… to help people in poverty out of poverty Why volunteer Because you’re worth it! ‘Inspirational’ was the verdict of community worker llinos roberts (also pictured right) on her visit to sierra leone. llinos went with fellow supporters Peter Murray and Mike Burn ahead of Christian aid Week 2012 to find out how our partner the Methodist Church of sierra leone is bringing about radical changes in the way communities help to shape their own future. We’ll be featuring some of the inspiring stories in the next issue of Christian Aid News, in March in sierra leone. The community there were helped by Christian aid partner the Methodist Church of sierra leone to overcome their immediate problems of hunger and work together towards a better future. Tenneh keimbay, a resident of Gbap, tells how much can be achieved when the community come together. ‘What inspires me in life is unity’, she says. ‘To me, unity means coming together to decide on one thing and take that forward.’ Christian aid works in 47 countries around the world. From sierra leone to Tajikistan, from kenya to Bolivia, we are helping communities to speak out and take their future into their own hands. Be a part of Christian aid Week this year. Come together, as people like Tenneh, Malcolm and Charlotte are coming together with their communities, and give the tools to help people in poverty out of poverty. To volunteer, go to christianaid.org.uk/volunteer Christian Aid/Jane Widdowson Kate Parr explains what being a Christian Aid volunteer entails We are alWays looking for new and enthusiastic volunteers to join us. as we prepare for Christian aid Week 2012 – seven amazing days of fundraising, prayer and action – this could be the perfect opportunity to take your volunteering to new heights! right now we are recruiting new volunteers across Britain and Ireland to help encourage and inspire even more churches, schools and communities to take action in Christian aid Week and throughout the year. What does this involve your local office will help get you started as you begin building relationships with churches and/or schools in your area. you will be provided with everything needed to deliver talks, sermons, assemblies or classroom workshops. There are loads of great resources available for you to use ahead of Christian aid Week 2012, including films, sermon notes, prayer ideas, and young people’s and children’s resources for both churches and schools. To supplement these materials you will be invited to a training session where you will meet other volunteers and receive detailed information about the fantastic work of our partner the Methodist Church of sierra leone, featured in the Christian aid Week 2012 materials. Great resources are available to enable the people you visit to put their passion into action, whether that’s by organising a fundraising event, praying or becoming Christian aid campaigners. above all, through volunteering you’ll get the chance to pass on your enthusiasm, to celebrate the fantastic work of our partners around the world, and to be part of building an even greater movement of people striving to bring an end to poverty and injustice. How to volunteer If you would like to volunteer to get involved this Christian aid Week please apply online at christianaid.org.uk/ volunteer or call Marie raffay on 0113 244 4764. your local Christian aid team will be in touch and may invite you to an informal interview to get to know you better. If we think the role suits you, you will be given all the support needed to get you started.
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Page 7 and 8: malawi Grant funds £10.1m climate
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Page 11 and 12: Climate Change: talk is just not en
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Page 15 and 16: Last November, Christian Aid’s Af
Page 17 and 18: nd SHip Tax havens: we’re gaining
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Page 25 and 26: Inspired Enraged Send your views to
Page 27 and 28: ✁ DO IT YOUR WAY GOT YOUR OWN BRI
Page 29 and 30: AROUND NORTH ENGLAND From Genesis t
Page 31 and 32: AROUND THE SOUTH EAST Regional news
Page 33 and 34: AROUND WALES ¡Viva Guatemala! The
Page 35 and 36: EVENTS IN NORTH ENGLAND MONDAY 16 J
Page 37 and 38: Regional news and events in London,
Page 39 and 40: PuDS DO GOOD After-pud entertainmen
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