Charities We Are Supporting During 2019 and 2020
Showing God’s Love through supporting Charities
On this page you will find details of the charities that we are currently supporting regularly.
In addition to the regular giving, we also support other charities by means of lent appeals, specific fundraising activities (such as for Children’s Society by carol singing and Christingle collections), as well as practical support by having a donations box for the local food bank.
Each month, one charity will have a particular focus and these will include a combination of presentations, newsletter articles, displays and speakers.
We also realise that God often puts particular charities and causes on people’s hearts and the church wishes to support people putting their faith into action through various charities after consultation with the Rector and churchwardens.
Each month, one charity will have a particular focus and these will include a combination of presentations, newsletter articles, displays and speakers.
We also realise that God often puts particular charities and causes on people’s hearts and the church wishes to support people putting their faith into action through various charities after consultation with the Rector and churchwardens.
This list of charities supported was compiled after a consultation late 2016 and was approved by the PCC in January 2017. The PCC further decided to continue with the same list of charities for 2019 and 2020. The next review is planned for the end of 2020.
Overview
The following charities are supported regularly:
International Charities (one third of the total, divided equally between the following)
For more details of these charities please scroll down this page.
International Charities (one third of the total, divided equally between the following)
- Compassion
- Tearfund
- Retrak (Hope for Justice)
- Barnabas Fund
- CMS (Church Mission Society)
- Sandhurst Counselling Service
- Dr Howard Stilliard Memorial Fund
- St Michael's Hardship Fund
For more details of these charities please scroll down this page.
Compassion
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda)
Asia (Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Thailand) Central America (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti) South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) |
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About the charity
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Releasing Children From Poverty In Jesus' Name
Compassion is one of the world's leading child development and child advocacy organisations. Our approach is a personal one. Working with the local church, we link a child living in poverty with a loving sponsor, like you. Each sponsor gives their child access to education, health checks and the care of a local church-based Compassion project. There's no quick fix to global poverty, but through our programmes, children's lives are being changed. We're impacting families, communities and whole nations. We partner with churches in 26 of the world’s poorest countries. These churches are able to meet the specific needs of their communities. |
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Mission Links
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As the charity works through churches, there is an indirect link to supporting evangelistic and Christian mission activities.
Through the activities, it proclaims the good news of the Kingdom, teaches and nurtures new believers, responds to human need by loving service and seeks to transform unjust structures in society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation (four of the five Anglican marks of Mission) |
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Other Information
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The article below appeared in the June 2020 edition of the church newsletter.
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Tearfund
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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Africa (Egypt, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, Chad, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi)
Asia (Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Central Asian States, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Mekong Sub Region, Philippines, Nepal, India, Afghanistan) Europe (Greece) Latin America & Caribbean (Haiti, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) |
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About the charity
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We're Christians Passionate About Ending Poverty
We're following Jesus where need is greatest, working through local churches to unlock people's potential and helping them to discover that the answer to poverty is within themselves. When disasters strike, we respond quickly. |
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Mission Links
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As the charity works through churches, there is an indirect link to supporting evangelistic and Christian mission activities.
They also work to challenge unjust society and current campaigns include work on sustaining and renewing creation. As such, they cover all five of the Anglican marks for mission. |
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Other Information
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The letter of thanks from Tearfund was sent to the Rector in October 2020. It concerns their response to the crisis in South Sudan.
See below for an article about Tearfund reproduced from the November 2020 edition of St Michaels Newsletter
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Retrak (part of Hope For Justice)
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, D. R. of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe)
South America (Brazil) |
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About the charity
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Retrak is a faith-based UK charity. Our vision is a world where no child is forced to live on street.
We believe that no child should be excluded, forgotten or ignored and we are motivated by our Christian faith to work towards our vision of no child being forced to live on the street. To achieve this we want to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere. Retrak works to transform highly vulnerable children’s lives, preserve families, empower communities and give each of them a voice. We put children at the very heart of everything we do and will be fearless and tenacious in defending and promoting their rights. |
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Mission Links
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Retrak’s focus is on two of the Anglican marks for mission, responding to human need by loving service and seeking to transform unjust structures in society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation
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Other Information
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See the prayer letter below from Maggie Crewes August 2018
The notes below appear in the church newsletter August 2018
The presentation below was used in a church service in August 2017
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Barnabas Fund
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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National and International
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About the charity
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The main ministry of Barnabas Fund is to send financial support to projects which help Christians where they suffer discrimination, oppression and persecution as a consequence of their faith.
The projects aim to strengthen Christian individuals, churches and their communities by providing material and spiritual support in response to needs identified by local Christian leaders. |
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Mission Links
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Barnabas Fund’s focus is on two of the Anglican marks for mission, responding to human need by loving service and seeking to transform unjust structures in society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation, although as they also work with churches, they are indirect links to the other marks for mission.
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Other Information
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The article below appeared in the November 2018 edition of the church newsletter
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CMS (Church Mission Society)
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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National & International
Africa (DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) Asia (Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand) Europe (Britain, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Malta, Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine) Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuadaor, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru) |
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About the charity
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Our vision is to see all God’s people engaged in God’s mission, bringing challenge, change, hope and freedom to the world.
As we join in God’s mission, through Jesus, and in the power of the Spirit we see that:·
We are people who are:·
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Mission Links
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Church mission society focuses on two marks for mission, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and to teach, baptise and nurture new believers
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Sandhurst Counselling Service
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Website
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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Sandhurst and local area
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About the charity
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Sandhurst Counselling Service (SCS) was launched by the PCC five years ago as a separate charity having operated for many years as an outreach by St Michael’s church. It continues to operate from the Pastoral Centre with three trustees nominated by the PCC and is run with a Christian ethos.
Mental health problems are one of the major, and growing, “unseen” challenges facing our community. Counselling enables people to lead richer, more fulfilling and resourceful lives by exploring the thoughts and feelings that are often behind mental distress and anguish. The service operates with 14 volunteer Counsellors, more than 50 Clients in counselling or waiting, and just two paid staff. It is 40% funded by Bracknell Forest Council, 30% by St Michael’s church, and 30% by donations. |
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Mission Links
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The Counselling Service responds to the Mission of the church ‘To respond to human need by loving service’, and is recognised and valued by the community as such.
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Other Information
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The article below appeared in the February 2019 edition of the church newsletter
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Dr Howard Stilliard Memorial Fund
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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Sandhurst, College Town, and Owlsmoor
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About the charity
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The fund was set up in memory of the late Dr. Howard Stilliard who was a regular member of St. Michael’s church and a member of our community. The aims and objectives of the fund are to promote the welfare and enterprise of young people, under the age of 18, and resident in the geographical area, by making financial contributions towards the cost of projects, courses and equipment, especially where statutory funds are not available. In general small projects which will benefit not only the young person, but also the local community are given priority.
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St Michael's Hardship Fund
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Geographical Areas Of Work
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People who live in the parish of Sandhurst or who have a connection with St. Michael’s Church.
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About the charity
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In the Bible we have repeated exhortations to “love our neighbour” in practical ways. Several years ago the PCC set up a Hardship Fund within our overall framework of Charitable Giving so that we can assist those most in need in our own context.
The Fund is administered by the Rector and Churchwardens, and every request is treated in the strictest confidence. The Fund is for one-off grants for specific expenditure, rather than for on-going deprivation, and the beneficiaries would be people who either live within the parish of Sandhurst or have an active and current connection to St Michael's Church. They may well be referred by a friend or neighbour. Grants are limited in size and no beneficiary may receive more than one grant in any year. |
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Mission Links
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The fund covers one of the marks of mission – to respond to human need by loving service; however as it works through our church there is an indirect link to the other marks of mission.
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