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At
any one time, the parish typically supports
a local, a UK and an international charity.
There are also, from time to time, other
causes which we have been able to provide
with backing on a more ad hoc basis. Over
the last five years, we have provided financial
support in excess of £250,000 to these
various causes, as well as time and commitment
from members of the congregation.
Details
of our chosen projects are set out below
– if you would like to make any specific
donations in support of these, please contact
Duncan Reynell on the Treasury team,
or if you are interested
in offering time or resources to help, please
contact the respective members of our congregation
noted below.
Our
current chosen charities
The Samaritans - www.samaritans.org/
As one of its three main charities, our parish is supporting the North West Surrey Branch of Samaritans.
This Samaritans branch is aiming to develop its support of teenagers in the local community. As part of this, the parish will be funding the introduction of text messaging as a means of communication - much used by our youth and perhaps, an easier way of being able to express their worries.
We hope that through this support our youth will feel that they always have someone to turn to in times of stress.
The Local Macmillan Nurses - www.macmillan.org.uk
Since the beginning of January 2009 the parish’s local charity has been the Macmillan nurses based at the Woking and Sam Beare Hospices.
Our aim over the next 3 years is to fund another development post. This is where a trained nurse undertakes a degree at Surrey University to become a specialist. This will provide a valuable extra resource for a team which is currently very stretched.
Please support our fundraising events.
The Farnborough Project - www.goodshepherdchurch.org.uk/
Our namesake church, The Church of the Good Shepherd, Farnborough, runs a community project which Wisley with Pyrford is supporting.
The Farnborough Community Project is for everyone who lives in the Farnborough community irrespective of race, religion, disability or sexual orientation. The Project consists of a number of regular activities, plus others that are responses to particular needs of individuals.
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There is a particularly good description of the Project as November 2009's project of the month on the Church Urban Fund website.
The aims of the Project are:
- To develop a network of care amongst the local community and caring professionals, motivated by practical Christian concern;
- To provide a channel through which people can give and receive time, money, skills and things to improve the lives of local people;
- To create bridges between the community and the church so that local people can experience the love of Christ.
There are a number of aspects to the Project:-
The Olive Branch is a free swap shop for children's clothes (age 0 - 12 years).
There are free refreshments, and a warm relaxed atmosphere for people to come and make new friends, have a cup of tea and find some clothes for their children.
Pit Stop is an afternoon drop in for people who are around during the day. Local people visit and and eat cake, drink tea and maybe play a board game.
The Larder & Furniture Store provides a mechanism for getting food and essentials, and also furniture to local people in real need. Donations of tinned and dried food for The Larder, and good quality used furniture for The Furniture Store are welcome (basic items only - beds, chests of drawers, wardrobes, tables chairs, arm chairs and sofas).
Rainbows is a friendly group for parents and pre-school children (aged 0 - 4 years) to come and play together, chat to other parents, enjoy a cup of tea and a healthy snack or biscuit.
SPOT Parenting Course is an 8 week course run in conjunction with Hampshire County Council for parents of young people aged from about 10 to 20 years. One course runs every school term.
Diane Wiltshire 01932 347575
Fred Heatley 01932 344057
Hope for Uganda - www.hopeforuganda.org.uk
"Sharing the love of Jesus" is the vision of the three churches in Wisley with Pyrford parish. ‘Hope for Uganda’ is one way in which our parish can work to fulfil that vision in practice - through the involvement of everyone within our parish and surrounding community.
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In summer 2005, eighteen people from the parish funded themselves to visit Kasese District in Western Uganda to show fellowship with Christians working to support their schools and communities in this very poor area. This team continues to fund-raise for Hope for Uganda. People we met in Kasese District were so welcoming and joyful, truly sharing the love of Jesus and what little they had with one another.
In summer 2006 a group of four from our parish visited again to show fellowship and observe how the small amounts of money left behind with leaders had been used to achieve over 14 successful projects.
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We found that parents in the primary schools had been so encouraged that they added their own funds and labour to build new classrooms. Our curate, Neil Lambert, is seen (left) attaching the opening plaque to one.
Other classrooms had been made secure with new windows and doors.
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The school where Lavinia Mukirane is Headteacher had been so encouraged by the football kit we gave that some pupils had participated at national level. Pupils felt inspired to aim higher and the school, located in the very poor Acholi quarter, had recently won a music cup (see right).
We saw healthy goats and chickens now feeding the families of widows and many orphans. When a goat has kids these are passed on to another needy family in the community.
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The 'Young Professionals' group had built a library (see left).
The water project 'Stephen’s Well' was now providing three remote communities with clean water.
Full financial accounts were produced and the progress was amazing from such small amounts of money because people had been inspired to work together.
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The PCC agreed to fund 'Hope for Uganda' from 2007 as one of the three charities the parish will give to by raising funds through, for example, the annual 'Shepherd’s Market'. We continue to work with the Diocese of South Rwenzori and also with the charity 'Emmanuel International'. We have a management committee in the UK and in Uganda. The aim is to help people to raise their communities from subsistence levels and encourage them to take opportunities to develop projects that will sustain their families and communities in the future. For more information contact Christina Osborne.
Women are the key to moving forward economically in these communities and families and already know how to make a little go a long way. Training has already begun on 8 pilot women's groups in preparation for microfinance projects in the three areas - Kabatunda/Rwesande in the mountains (see picture of the women's group in Kabatunda on the right), Kasese town and the villages of Kisinga / Lhahwahwa. We are also working with street children in the poorest Acholi Quarter who are too poor to go to school - to help them find ways to avoid a continuing life of poverty.
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Hope for Uganda projects include setting up, near to needy villages, the water and capital projects (such as maize mills) that would be beyond the dreams of poor people in this area to finance. Feasibility studies are underway so that we know which water projects can be started to provide communities with clean water nearby and the possibility of successful irrigation of crops. Maize Mill projects are also being explored with the aim of helping these communities to develop income streams. For latest news see www.hopeforuganda.org.uk.
Tina Osborne
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