CHARITIES

CHARITY NEWS ...

Refugee Aid from Taunton (RAfT): Charity No:1180367

Unit 4, Enterprise Park, Priorswood Road, Taunton TA2 8FR (next to Grubs Up)
Opening times for donations are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10.00 to 2.00pm.
Dedicated RAfT mobile phone which is available to take calls during our opening hours: 07965245284.

The excitement for RAfT volunteers continues with an invitation for two people to attend a Palace Garden Party. However, I shall not be going! Posh frocks and hats are not my thing (and we will be on holiday!). But Keith and I did go to London to a premier of a promotional video made by Premier Inn with our charity partners ‘Hope and Aid Direct’. It illustrated how the two organisations are working together to send out to Ukraine convoy shipments of mattresses, duvets and pillows being replaced on Premier Inn’s regular upgrade system. The joy of those people receiving a mattress on which to sleep, rather than a pallet was a real ‘tear-jerker’. We were told that clients who book with Premier Inn will be sent a link to the video with their booking confirmation. If you use these hotels, do look out for this.
Meanwhile, the day-to-day work continues with shipment 589 leaving the warehouse on its way to Afghanistan today (13th Feb) and shipment 590 will be starting its journey to Ukraine next week (20th). This is mostly good quality clothing and blankets, with some small items of medical aid such as bandages, crutches, orthopaedic boots and incontinence pads.
We continue to support people housed locally, supplying clothing and small household items. Suitcases seem to be a particular request as families are moved around frequently.
As I write this our ‘in bay’ for donations is all but empty, so we hope that people having a spring clean of their wardrobes will think of us.

Elaine Dew

Care and Relief for Children (C.R.Y.):

C.R.Y. firmly believes that nurturing the next generation of children across Sub-Saharan Africa requires the collective effort of a diverse community of educators spanning Africa.

In a few weeks C.R.Y. will be joining together in Nairobi, Kenya, with African Partners from 13 nations. They will engage in discussions, sharing knowledge and envisioning a brighter future for children across the African continent, through educational and charitable initiatives.

We are invited to join with C.R.Y. in prayer as they finalise the remaining details and logistics for the forum.

New Project: Feeding Programme in the Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been facing several crises, including political instability, armed conflict, and humanitarian challenges. This situation exacerbates the suffering of the Congolese people, especially in the East of the country.

C.R.Y. Partners are collaborating with a school in Gorma, North Kivu (in the centre of the crisis area) to provide meals for displaced orphans living in an informal settlement and to ensure the safety and health of these children. Donations towards this project will be well received.

A CRY for Peace – Critical Appeal – Last chance to donate. This is to help Project partners dedicated to helping children in the conflict zones of Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine, and Myanmar. 

Further information about C.R.Y. available on website www.cry.org.uk
Postal enquiries to: Care and Relief for the Young, Upper Northam Road, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 4BZ.

Francis Lewis

Action for Children:

Publicity about making a Will and ‘new Gifts in Wills’ enquiry pack. Wills team is at giftsinwills@actionforchildren.org.uk

April has been Stress Awareness Month, promoting a greater understanding of stress and anxiety. There are concerns about the declining mental health of children and young people in the UK. These include dealing with poverty, money worries and social media. The Blues Programme is a 6-week wellbeing programme for those aged 13-19 and it gets young people talking about their mental health.

In 2022/23 there were 4.3 million children growing up in poverty in the UK and was 100,000 more than the previous year. There are other facts relating to this. Also, many thousands of children are at risk of being criminally exploited and coerced into committing crimes for someone else’s benefit. This is child abuse. To help them, Action for Children run a pioneering programme whereby staff mentors use their personal experiences to build powerful connections with young people.

In November 2023 Action for Children commissioned the Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children to find facts about the growing problem and what can be done to prevent it. The review has featured on BBC TV and Radio and on Channel 4. There are links to a personal story of an individual and a campaign to free children from the mercy of criminals.

Children’s lives must be a priority for the next Prime Minister and to take away the burdens of the Cost-of-Living Crisis, crumbling schools and overstretched mental health services. The Children at the Table campaign is run in conjunction with Barnardo’s, NSPCC, NCB, and the Children’s Society to ask all Political Parties running in the next election to commit to the change that children need. There is a link to a petition in support of this.

Full information on Action for Children projects etc. is available at news@actionforchildren-email.org.uk.

Francis Lewis

Somerset Community Foundation

1. A record £185,000 raised so far this year in ‘Surviving Winter’ appeal.
2. Fairy Hill Market Garden helped by SWEF Enterprise Grant to bring sustainable locally grown food to local people. The grants are available to young people aged 18 – 35 setting up in business.
3. ‘Countrymen UK’ helping men from rural backgrounds living with conditions such as Dementia.
4. Grant towards Wild Coasts project of Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Contact details for information and making donations is Somerset Community Foundation, Yeoman House, The Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN. Tel 01749 344949. Email: info@somersetcf.org.uk.

Francis Lewis

MHA Newsletter

Focus on:

• Waterside House, Wolverhampton, the Pot Gang Potting Club where residents participate in planting activities.

• Residents at Stratton House, Bath, had a creative day for St David’s Day of doing crafts, quizzes and eating Welsh Cakes.

• South Leeds Communities held a Wild West Event and raised £600.

• Publicity for fund-raising possibilities such as Great North Run. Links available to National Befriending Service.  

For further information visit info@mha.org.uk

Francis Lewis

Taunton Welcomes Refugees

Thank you to all of the individuals and churches who have continued to support our work at TWR – by fund raising, gifts, offers of household items, and general support – not to mention your prayers. Thank you too, to all those churches or individuals who have befriended those who are far from home and in a strange culture. We should not underestimate the value of a smiling and welcoming face, or of a safe and warm place!

Only 30 months ago we were a very small charity supporting about 20 Syrian families. Now we have ‘grown like Topsy’! At the last count had over 60 volunteers, are probably supporting about 200 individuals, and find ourselves offering eight different types of activities. We continue to support all those who are seeking refuge (both those who are resettled refugee families, and those who are currently hoping to be given refugee status) without distinction or discrimination. Our work with the Syrian families has moved on to general encouragement, as they apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’ and then, in many cases, British Citizenship (which is not as easy as it might sound!). They are making a fantastic contribution to our communal life here, and we are so proud of them. Likewise, we continue to support Afghan and Ukrainian families as they have come to live among us. Our work among asylum seekers is also on-going, either through our Coffee & Conversations Session, thorough individual befriending, or through working alongside other charities and the statutory agencies with asylum seekers in pre-dispersal accommodation.

Most of our work is just about ‘being there’ and listening, sometimes it is giving practical help – and nearly always it is also helping with language.

As ever, more work requires more people! We still need new trustees who can help us consolidate or expand our work, plus I will be standing down at the end of the year, so we are also seeking a new training co-ordinator. If you are able to help (or know anyone who might be interested) in the role of either

Chair of Trustees or Training Co-ordinator please contact admin@tauntonwelcomesrefugees.co.uk for further information. Thank you.

Lynne Mayers

Charities and other Organisations Needing Your Support
or That Can Offer Support to You ...

LOCAL PANTRY ROWBARTON:

We are at the 3rd anniversary of the opening of the pantry, and have gone through many changes. When we first opened, we were still in COVID with all the restrictions that brought with it, and we are now into the cost of living crisis. There are 45 members who come each Tuesday to collect the food parcels, with 3 more on the waiting list. Thanks to the generous donations and grants we have received we are able to give away a small kitchen appliance each fortnight. This incentive not only helps the household, but gets them cooking with the ingredients that we are able to provide in some quite imaginative ways. As always, we are grateful for the continued hard work from the volunteers and the support of the whole church.  

If you know of anyone who may need the help we can offer or if you would like to join the scheme as a volunteer or member, please contact the team, by emailing Rowbartonpantry@gmail.com. You can also visit our Facebook page.

Gillian Flick (Team Leader)

DISASTERS EMERGENCY  COMMITTEE (DEC):
Launched in 1963 the DEC is made up of 15 member charities who are experts in humanitarian aid and specialise in different areas of disaster response. They come together to speak in one voice and make fundraising more efficient when we launch an appeal. Our members fund our running costs, and we give them back the money we raise in our appeals to carry out their vital work. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. We use a set of criteria to decide when we launch an appeal in response to a disaster overseas and ensure we work effectively. The UK government often agrees to a limited matched funding, and UK taxpayers can 'gift aid' their donation adding a further 25% at no cost.

Active appeals where you can donate online include the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, the Pakistan Floods Appeal, and the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. There are additional methods of making a donation that can be found on the website.

SITUATION IN UKRAINE & EMERGENCY APPEALS:

There will be a 'prayer station' set up in Temple from Wednesday to pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia.

Following recent collections for the Ukraine appeal we have been able to send a cheque for £556. Thank you. 

Prayers for Ukraine
Statement on Ukraine from the Methodist Presidency

ALL WE CAN and the Methodist Church in Britain have launched an emergency appeal in response to events unfolding in Ukraine. As communities face violence, upheaval, and the trauma of war, your urgent support is needed. Working together with the Global Relationships Team of the Methodist Church in Britain, donations will be used to support the response to the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, and ensure that critical humanitarian assistance is available to those who need it. https://www.allwecan.org.uk/donations/ukraine/

The DISASTERS EMERGENCY COMMITTEE have launched a Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal for families fleeing the conflict having left their homes with only the items they were able to carry. Funds are needed to help provide food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection. At Ukraine’s borders with Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova, huge numbers of people are arriving with only what they can carry. In many places there are long waits to cross and scant facilities waiting for them on the other side, with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight. Donations can be made at https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

UNICEF is rapidly scaling up its multi-sectoral response to the increasing humanitarian needs in Ukraine and among refugees in neighbouring countries. Ensuring the protection and well-being of women and children is central to UNICEF's response efforts. Multi-purpose cash transfers will be undertaken to support vulnerable households with children. UNICEF will also provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as the resumption of primary health care and nutrition services and will work to enroll displaced children in local education programmes. Donations can be made at https://www.unicef.org/appeals/ukraine

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