Charities Support Group

Our Charities Support Group is responsible for deciding, on behalf of the PCC, which charities and organisations should be given money from the Charities Support budget. This budget is made up of both funds that are entrusted to the Committee by the PCC for charitable giving (which amount to around 10% of the church’s general income), plus funds that are raised by specific Charities Support Group activities such as the annual Holly Fair.

Our aim is to give a tenth of our income (a tithe) to support the work of various missionary and charitable organisations working in the UK and overseas.

We see this as a practical way of demonstrating the gospel imperative to love our neighbours as ourselves.

In deciding which charities and organisations to support, the Charities Support Group is guided by the Charities Support Group Giving Policy, available for download here.

We also hold ‘Red Bucket Appeals’ in the case of natural disaster and international emergency appeals:

After our Patronal festival meal in September, £143.50 was collected and donated to The Bishop’s Stortford Child Contact Centre. The Bishop’s Harvest Appeal total for the Leprosy Mission (£376.46) was donated to their project in Sri Lanka. Following the excellent talk by Matt from the Leprosy Mission, including highlighting the Nepal emergency, our CSG giving of £500 and money donated then went to that appeal. Thanks to everyone for their generosity.

Lent Red Bucket Appeal 2024

In Lent we supported two charities, through both our Appeal and our Lunches (on Tuesdays after our Lent Reflections at 12 noon).

Many thanks to the congregation for your very generous donations. We are delighted to report that the total was £1214 and this was split between the two charities:

Embrace the Middle East
Embrace is a Christian development Charity tackling poverty and injustice in the Middle East. It supports, enables and partners with Christians in the Middle East as they work to transform lives and restore the dignity of the most excluded and marginalised in their communities, through education, community support and healthcare.
More details can be found on their website, Embrace the Middle East or please speak to Rosemary Thomson.
They have launched a Gaza Crisis Appeal. Your gift will support Embrace’s Christian partners in the immediate aftermath of this humanitarian crisis and help to heal the wounds it has caused across Israel – Palestine.
They ask that you hold Israel, Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) in your prayers.

Bishop’s Stortford Child Contact Centre
A community based, not for profit, child-focused charity that supports families directly impacted by separation or divorce. They currently offer supported contact and are soon to introduce supervised contact between the child and the parent/family member they don’t usually live with, in a safe, neutral, family orientated space.
Attendance is by appointment only. Sessions are currently run at The Hub Church, Portland Rd, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3SL on Saturday mornings between 10am and 12 noon.
They are also currently looking into expanding our services into Sawbridgeworth and Stansted. Keep an eye on their website for more details.

Advent Red Bucket Appeal 2023

Last year we supported two local charities, Care4Calais Stansted and Holy Trinity Winter Night Shelter.

The final total was £665.26 and has been divided between the charities. Please pray for both charities and their work.

Holy Trinity Night Shelter & Community Outreach
David Perry, who runs the shelter, has also requested prayers for the opening of the shelter this winter. Please pray for all the volunteers and helpers, guests, trustees, and all those who work at East Herts Rough Sleeper Unit. The Night Shelter is in need of more volunteers and the sleeping accommodation for overnight volunteers is much improved. The shelter is usually open until March.

Care4Calais in the Bishops Stortford area
Care4Calais Stansted helps asylum seekers, accommodated in two hotels in villages close to Bishop’s Stortford. We're a group of volunteers from Bishop’s Stortford and surrounding area. We support and befriend local asylum seekers living in difficult situations. Many are families with children, including new-borns. We source basic supplies such as clothes, shoes, toys and baby equipment for them.
We also arrange activities (such as children’s parties and craft sessions), English lessons and provide moral and emotional support during this difficult time. They have endured painful experiences and are escaping horrific situations - so your donations really make a difference.
100 per cent of donations received is spent on purchasing items and providing crucial services in our area.

Holly Fair thanks

The Charities Support Group would like to thank everyone who worked hard and made the Holly Fair such a success again. There was a lovely atmosphere and we hope all enjoyed the occasion. The total profit was £3006.00.

Morocco Earthquake and Libya Floods, and Bishop's Harvest Red Bucket Appeals

Red Buckets – We’d like to thank the congregation for their generous donations following the recent red bucket appeals. The St Michael’s donations following the earthquake in Morocco (£283.38) and floods in Libya (£283.37) have been made via the Red Cross. We also raised £237.62 for the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal and this has been sent to the Diocesan appeal.

Below is a selection of the 'thank you' letters that we've received from charities that we have supported recently: