An important part of Christian witness is giving to others and St James’s has always had a strong tradition of supporting other agencies in Christian mission by understanding the work that each charity does, building relationships with the people who do the work, raising funds and sharing the good news. Twenty-first century Britain is a very different place from Victorian Britain, but sadly the need to think of those less fortunate has not gone away and charitable giving has always been at the heart of our parish outreach - an essential part of the good news our Christian faith encourages us to proclaim.
In the past the high level of sustained giving was possible because St James’s always used to include charitable grants in its annual budget. The Charities and Links Committee recommended to the PCC the allocation of our giving with half going to good causes in the UK and half overseas. However now there is an annual programme of fundraising projects, e.g. the Lent Appeal and Christian Aid Week. Special collections are taken during the year for these and other charities or emergency appeals, either as part of a fund raising event or simply a plate collection during church services. Representatives of charities, for example Welcare and Christian Aid, sometimes come and speak about their work during Sunday services. The church helps parishes in poorer parts of London through the Common Fund payment to the diocese.
Non-monetary collections include the Harvest collection of non-perishable items, including basic toiletries, for The Upper Room in Hammersmith. The church supports Fair Trade by providing Fairtrade refreshments. Other non-monetary collections are taken from time to time.
Giving is not just about money. It is also about sharing our lives and growing in understanding and friendship, which is where 'Links' come in. St James has a long-standing link with St Luke’s Mission Hospital in Milo, South West Tanzania. We have learnt so much about the lives of the people who live and work there and have helped where we can, including paying for various pieces of equipment and covering training fees for several young people.
St James also takes an active interest in ALMA, the partnership the Diocese of London has with Angola and Mozambique. As well as supporting the general aims of ALMA and its Lent Appeals, St James is linked with the parish of Santa Maria Madelena in Pemba, right up on the north-east coast of Mozambique.
The Charity Support Team
The Charity Support Team looks after the parish's charitable giving and is responsible for setting the annual programme of charitable grants and for relating to the recipients. It tries to ensure donations are split evenly between charities that support people here in the UK and charities supporting people overseas. Our giving determines the amount of money available to this team. It has been the commitment of the PCC for many years to give 10% of the church’s income for charitable purposes.
ALMA (Angola London Mozambique Association)
ALMA is the partnership between the Anglican Church in Angola, London and Mozambique. The aim is to get to know one another, learn from each other and assist each other in proclaiming the message of salvation in a way that is relevant to today’s world. See the ALMA Website.
Bishop Wand School
Our annual donation to our nearest Church of England secondary school contributes towards the cost of employing the School Chaplain, as well as projects supported by the Governing BodySee the Bishop Wand Website.
Children's Society
The Children’s Society is a leading national charity, allied to The Church of England, driven by the belief that every child deserves a good childhood. Through its network of services all over the country, it offers help to many types of vulnerable children. See the Children's Society Website.
Christian Aid
Christian Aid’s work is founded on Christian faith, but it helps all people, regardless of their religion or nationality. It is a charity that works with people, of all faiths and none, to combat poverty and injustice across the world. See the Christian Aid Website.
St Luke’s Hospital in Milo, Tanzania
St Luke’s Hospital in Milo, southwest Tanzania, is an Anglican mission hospital run by the Diocese of South West Tanganyika. The hospital serves a population of about 150,000 and has 50 beds, including male, female, and maternity wards. They also have an Outpatients Dispensary. St James has supported it for over 30 years and currently particularly supports the work of two volunteers, Drs Hilary and Adrian Murray, now based at Milo.
The Upper Room
The Upper Room is a community charity based at St Saviour’s Church in Wendell Park, Hammersmith. It provides a range of services for the homeless, vulnerable, and socially disadvantaged of West London. These include a weekday evening meal and support in finding a job. See the The Upper Room Website.
Welcare in Richmond
Welcare is a Christian Charity that works alongside parents and young children in need, to achieve a better quality of life for the family. It aims to prevent family relationships breaking down and to provide services in response to local needs which encourage self-help and build communities. See the Welcare Website.
Find out more
Witness, Mission & Outreach through the years (document) shows some of what happened from when records began up until 2017. The Annual Parochial Church Meeting Reports show the annual reports from most teams and groups since then. (Scroll down the document of the year you are interested in to find the report you want)
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A Life Group |
Milo Hospital supported by St James's |
The Upper Room |