Christian Aid

Christian aid Week
Sunday 10th to 

Sunday 16th May 2026

Christian Aid week has come mound again as the organisation enters its ninth decade. Last June two of us attended a joyful celebration of its first 80 years in Westminster Abbey but in the months since then things seem to have become even harder, with new emergence of old conflicts, while then long-term concerns of climate change and debt management continue to burden many of the countries where the charity works. Christian Aid has launched a Restore campaign to tackle these issues specifically.

Their report for 2024-25 is at the back of the church, with some encouraging facts (nearly 29 thousand people gave to Christian Aid for the first time over that year; the charity reached 4.1 million people with direct help and another 12.4 indirectly - and over half of that 4.1 million were women and girls). But perhaps inevitably, the total raised over the year us down on the year before.£7.1 million sounds a lot, but there is so much need that they have had to spend £77 million. They are continuing to work in some of the most difficult places we can imagine - including Myanmar, Afghanistan, syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine, South Sudan, Haiti.

We will be holding out annual Christian Aid service on Sunday 10th May, followed by the usual retiring collection and we do innovate you to give as generously as you feel able. If you miss that Sunday the collection will be open for another couple of weeks. We may not be able to give the occasion quite as much prominence as usual (the chief cake-maker will be away) but the need remains just as great.

Besides reporting on how the money is spent, the Christian Aid report also covers the way in which it is raised, and some of their educational work in this country - for instance through Young  Global Neighbours award, which went to a Welsh primary school. The children's artwork was displayed locally, but also at the Send and the Houses of Parliament, where they had a chance to speak to MPs about the urgent need for climate action.

There will be plenty else going on in other local churches, and another way in which you can support the cause is to support them.  For example I have been given details from St John';s Church West Wickham (Layham's Road).

"From 10th to 17th May , the church will be open each afternoon from 2 - 5pm, selling plants, and cakes and offering refreshments. There will be specific entertainments on these days:

10th - 2.15pm double bass soloist

11th - 2.15pm story time for U5s

13th - 3.30pm guitar folk music

14th - 3.00pm concert band

17th - 3.00pm double bass soloist

Lastly, at 7.30pm on Friday 29th May, the former Royal Protection officer Dick Griffin will give a talk on his experiences in that role.: