St John’s is raising money for Christian Aid during Christian Aid Week, on the above dates, to support communities living in poverty.  Every year, during this appeal, people across Britain and Ireland have seven days to make a difference and raise funds for Christian Aid Week. We hope people will get behind our fundraising and support their global neighbours. 

Envelopes will be given out at church on Sunday 10th May and can be returned to Natalie Excell or to the Parish Office.  Alternatively, you can give from now on through the St John’s e-envelope on the Christian Aid website – use this QR code

or you can go to St John's Envelope

There will also be a Christian Aid table in the Centre, on Sunday 10th May, with lots of edible goodies for you to enjoy for a donation to Christian Aid.  Money raised will help Christian Aid and its partners to support communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.  

This year’s appeal is focusing on work in Nairobi, Kenya,  where intense poverty means families have a daily struggle to feed their children. With secure jobs hard to find, and most people earning less than a dollar a day, to cover school costs, rent and water, providing food for every meal is a relentless problem.  But with tools, seeds and specialist training from Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope, families are learning how to make the most of a small space in the city to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables to cook or sell.  Thank you for supporting the important work of this charity.

Where hardship means hunger… urban farmers can grow hope. 

In the crowded and noisy settlements of Nairobi, most parents wake every single day knowing that they must go and earn money, otherwise their children won’t eat that evening. 

With no formal work opportunities, heartbreakingly low pay, and no social support, it’s a precarious and frightening daily struggle that no family should have to face.

The aching hunger is bad enough. The relentless stress is overwhelming. ‘When I wake up, I have a lot of worries. Sometimes I don't have food,’ says Fridah Moraa, a recently widowed grandmother determined to support her family on what little she earns. 

‘Now I'm responsible for everything.’ With school costs, rent and water to cover, providing food for every meal is a problem that never goes away. 

But Fridah’s faith in God, and in her own ability to provide, is unwavering. With tools, seeds and specialist training from Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope, Fridah’s now making the most of a small space in the city to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables that she can cook for her family or sell on her market stall. 

Reflecting on her new role in life, Fridah says: 'I never thought that a woman could also be a provider.’

With her inner strength, unstoppable resolve, and a little help from Beacon of Hope, Fridah’s overcoming poverty to feed the youngest members of her family and protect them from the threat of malnutrition. 

Fridah rightly takes pride in all she’s achieving: ‘When I harvest what I’ve planted, it makes me happy. Urban farming has changed my life.’

Christian Aid and its supporters are joining together once again during Christian Aid Week (10-16 May) to fundraise in all kinds of ways – from coffee mornings and craft stalls to hiking and biking for the 70k in May challenge. 

With seven days to make a difference, every gift, act and prayer counts. What will you do to support someone like Fridah to grow food, protect their children from hunger, and nurture hope?

• £5 could buy the seeds that kickstart a family’s nutritious vegetable garden.
• £10 could pay for the pair of chickens that produce fertiliser for an urban farmer.
• £15 could purchase the hand tools that mean an urban farmer can tend their crops.
• £30 could buy the trio of cone garden planters that host hundreds of plants in a tiny city space.