MISSION

SHOE BOX APPEAL

Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way to the Shoebox Appeal this year. We have been able to send 107 shoeboxes to Link to Hope’s work in Bulgaria, Romania, Moldovia and Ukraine. For more information visit their website: www.linktohope.co.uk

WORLD CHURCH PROJECT

World Mission at The United Church has a primary focus on the World Mission Project. Every two to three years the church members decide on a charity that they would like to link with.

We hold various fundraising activities to be able to assist the charity with funds while the church members then get a chance to learn about the work of the charity and an insight in to the lives of others. Our current World Mission Project is Action for Child Trauma International who train therapists to work with children suffering from trauma and PTSD. We decided at our last Church Meeting following our successful Christmas Shoebox appeal to make Link to Hope our charity for two years. Read more about them on their website here.

CHRISTMAS PROJECT 2020

Have you thought about Christmas yet?  How do you think it will look and feel?  At the moment it is hard to imagine what the picture will be.  What will we be allowed to do and what restrictions might be in place to affect our usual plans?  What is not in doubt is that the need in Winchester is not likely to have diminished.

Winchester Churches Christmas Project attempts to help those in Winchester for whom Christmas can be a really difficult time.  Last Christmas volunteers from 18 different churches helped 141 people in the Winchester area through a lot of personal contact and consultation.  Sometimes the money is not the most important bit – knowing that someone is prepared to spend time and take the trouble to listen can mean a lot.  This is a thoughtful ‘bespoke’ enterprise – definitely not ‘one size fits all’.  We show our Christian faith through caring for and helping those we would normally visit.

However, we envisage that this year’s Christmas Project will be forced to be much lower key and less ‘hands on’ as COVID-19 guidelines will shape what is practically possible.  We are consulting with the usual agencies to consider how this might work and have approached experienced volunteers to find out what help they feel able to offer.

We are in the fortunate position of having some funds available already but would still be grateful for any donations.  These should be sent to the Project Treasurer, Jessica Tringham, c/o the Church Office [The United Church, Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8RZ].  Please make cheques payable to ‘Winchester Churches Christmas Project’. If you would like to Gift Aid your donation, please add ‘Gift Aid’ to the Project name on the cheque, provide your name and address and specify that it is to be Gift Aided.

In the meantime, we would really value your prayers for the Project, our volunteers and the people referred to us.

Thank you very much.

Helen McTiffin

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Our church community has decided to make Education for Sustainability a focus.

This means a focus across the whole community on education, awareness and our impact over time that is in tune with creation; consciously embracing environmental degradation as a call to transform how we live as a community – by linking up what we do, by learning, by creatively exploring our connections within nature, and our understanding of God.

Read more

MHA COMMUNITIES WINCHESTER

MHA Communities Winchester is a charity offering support and friendship to local older people living in their own homes; helping to maintain independent living, improve well-being and reduce isolation.

For more information please email office@ucw.org.uk

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Our church community has decided to make Education for Sustainability a focus.

This means a focus across the whole community on education, awareness and our impact over time that is in tune with creation; consciously embracing environmental degradation as a call to transform how we live as a community - by linking up what we do, by learning, by creatively exploring our connections within nature, and our understanding of God.

Unprecedented international agreement through The Paris Agreement in 2015 urges that everyone needs to be involved in avoiding the most catastrophic effects of climate change, now! There always seem to be numerous pressing issues for our community to respond to.  The specific challenges of climate change present a different kind of pressing issue, because the need for finding different ways of living, is so urgent. The 2018 IPCC report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) pushes for no more than a 1.5 degree rise in global temperature to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.  We’ve already gone over the 1degree. Friends of the Earth say the period before 2020 is critical. This issue is of singular importance. But how does this translate down into each organisation, each individual doing their part to make it possible?

As an organisation that cares about love, justice, easing poverty, showing there is another way to live, our way of trying to do this is by a focus on Education for Sustainability (EfS).

What this looks like:

The urgency is uncomfortable and poses challenges, but the opportunity for us to be engaged in shaping a community that is willing to grapple with the shift to more sustainable ways of living is exciting, and profound, and deeply about God’s yearning for all to have life in all its fullness.

MHA COMMUNITIES WINCHESTER

MHA Communities Winchester is a charity offering support and friendship to local older people living in their own homes; helping to maintain independent living, improve well-being and reduce isolation.

Through our able team of Volunteers we are able to offer opportunities for companionship, support and advice to older people in the Winchester district. We have services which can be offered at home and group activities in a place where our members can be among friends. These include our weekly schedule of clubs and activities,  our one-to-one services and the opportunity to join our regular outings and  annual holiday.  Above all our members know that there is always someone to turn to for help, advice or simply a chat.

For a small monthly donation to the Scheme, Members benefit from a regular newsletter, birthday card, Christmas gift bag, regular telephone contact, transport to one off appointments (subject to availability), signposting & information.

If you would like more information about the scheme, would like to become a member or have an interest in volunteering then please contact us on 01962 890995 or Winchester.liveathome@mha.org.uk. You can also visit our website www.wlahs.org or come and see us at our offices based in the United Church.

Anna Miles
MHA Communities Winchester Manager

MHA Communities Winchester
Jewry St
SO23 8RZ
Tel: 01962 890995

www.mha.org.uk