Charity is an important part of life at Christ Church School. When supporting charities, children spend time learning about the cause they are supporting and thinking about the impact of supporting the charities and how this impacts on people.
Croydon Night Watch – Croydon Nightwatch | Caring for homeless people in Croydon since 1976
Nightwatch was founded in 1976 when a group of local people came together concerned after the death of a homeless man in Croydon. Their interests coincided with those of Rev Martin Wharton of Croydon Parish Church who had spent many nights walking round the borough meeting homeless people. Rev Martin was the first chair of the organisation, and for the first sixteen years Nightwatch was based at the Parish Church Hall.
Nightwatch built up facilities and hostels over the following years, always retaining a strong volunteer base. By the early 1990s, there were three Nightwatch hostels but homelessness in Croydon was increasing. The effect of government policies and general social changes massively increased the numbers of homeless people we were seeing while at the same time restricting the availability of new housing.
Changes to the legislation relating to hostels meant it would be better for them to be run by a housing association. In 1992 we gave our hostels to the Croydon Churches Housing Association and expanded street level work to confront the new homelessness crisis. In 2005 we renovated a derelict church building in central Croydon for use as a kitchen and store. In 2013 we were warned we would be losing the lease on this building and we moved to another hall, storeroom and kitchen. We do no advertise the location of this building or our hosts would have homeless people turning up at all times. We see them in the Queen’s Gardens at 9.30.
Supplementary material is available on request: ‘A Century of Caring: 25 years of Nightwatch’; this history of Nightwatch was prepared for our 25th anniversary. Martin, by now The Rt Reverend Martin Wharton, Bishop of Newcastle, came to join us for the commemoration.
Sport Relief – Sport Relief 2020 | Comic Relief
Comic Relief – Red Nose Day | Comic Relief
Thanks to donations, Comic Relief continues to make a difference to the lives of millions of people across the UK and around the world.
They believe a just world, free from poverty, is possible, and that those closest to the issues have the best solutions. So they partner with amazing projects and organisations that are working to tackle four of the biggest challenges society faces today:
- Improving Mental Health
- A safe place for everyone
- A World where children thrive and survive
- Gender justice
In each of these areas, the Covid-19 pandemic has made people’s lives even harder, so everyone’s support is more important than ever.
Purley Food Hub – Home – Purley Food Hub
Purley Food Hub is a food bank that helps local people in crisis who are without food.
It was set up in January 2013 by the 12 churches that then made up Churches Together in Purley & Kenley. They became a registered charity with elected Trustees in July 2013.
Clients are referred to us by a network of around 130 Food Ticket Partners. These are agencies and professionals across Croydon borough who work closely with people in crisis.
They include Jobcentres, teams and departments of Croydon Council, hostels and refuges, children’s centres and schools, and a wide range of voluntary organisations.
They are run entirely by volunteers – they currently have around 150 from the churches and local community. Food is donated by local churches, schools, businesses, uniformed groups, community organisations like the Rotary Club and Women’s Institute and many families and individuals.
African Revival – Home – African Revival
Their vision is an Africa where every child has equal access to education, as they believe education is the key to overcoming poverty. African Revival have worked with primary and nursery schools in Uganda, Zambia & South Sudan since 2005 – some of the poorest countries in the world – to allow every child to fulfil their potential.
They don’t just build infrastructure and implement education and livelihood projects, they empower whole communities – pupils, teachers and parents – to transform government-run and parent-run schools into thriving learning environments that build brighter, better futures.
What makes them different? Their staff are based in the rural communities where they work. This proximity to their partners allows us to be more efficient with donor’s money and more accountable to they communities we serve.
Paint Purley Purple
Paint Purley Purple, run by Purley based South East Cancer Help Centre (SECHC), calls on local shops, businesses, schools, organisations and residents to hold purple-themed cancer fundraising events or activities throughout October.
The Centre, which has local NHS recognition, offers bereavement, family, telephone and individual counselling sessions and support groups for people suffering specific types of cancer.
Massage, hypnotherapy, reiki, aromatherapy, and reflexology therapies are also available as well as activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, drama, relaxation, and arts & crafts.
UNICEF – Unicef UK – Children’s charity – For Every Child in Danger
75 YEARS
UNICEF WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1946, SO WE’VE BEEN PROTECTING AND PROMOTING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS FOR 70 YEARS
A donation to UNICEF means you really are making a difference to children’s lives
UNICEF is the leading organisation working for children. They ensure more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. They’ve done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else.
They get things done. And they’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.
Shoe Share – ShoeShare: RRSA and Clarks – Rights Respecting Schools Award (unicef.org.uk)
ShoeShare helps children around the world access their right to education.
ShoeShare is a campaign in partnership with the Rights Respecting Schools Award and Clarks Shoes. This partnership began in May 2017 and so far over 300 schools have taken part.
The ShoeShare campaign collects old or unwanted shoes. These old or unwanted shoes are then sent for re-use. For every tonne of shoes collected, a donation is made to UNICEF UK which goes towards education programmes around the world.
Children in Need – Together we can change young lives – BBC Children in Need
Children In Need is the BBC’s charity and there mission is to help ensure every child in the UK is safe, happy, secure and has the opportunities they need to reach their potential.
They raise money both throughout the year and in their annual November appeal which is put to work where it’s needed most. They fund local charities and projects who help remove the barriers that are facing children and young people, so that they can thrive.
They work closely with a whole range of organisations so we can understand where the need is greatest, ensuring the money raised goes to supporting the young people that need it most.
They fund over 3,900 local charities and projects which directly support children and young people in communities right across the UK.
They support children and young affected by a whole range of disadvantages such as poverty, disability, illness, distress or trauma. They also work with a range of partners to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the UK’s children and young people today, including: mental health and wellbeing, violence impacting young people, child sexual exploitation, holiday hunger; access to employment, and social injustice.
Bishop Lenten Call – Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call 2021 – Supporting projects in the Diocese of Southwark and in our link Dioceses in Jerusalem Zimbabwe (southwarklentcall.com)
In addition to the food banks which the Lent Call is supporting in the Croydon and Kingston Areas, the Lent Call for 2021 is also supporting food banks in the Woolwich Episcopal Area.
AmenTrust – Amen Trust
AMEN is a conduit for channelling resources to many overseas Christians working to make a difference in their own countries.
- An Indian Couple transforming lives of the most disadvantaged in Indian society.
- Nigerians helping churches provide AIDs support in Nigeria
- A Filipino Pastor working with High School kids in a very tough area of Manila.
These and many other AMEN partners across the world are serving God and their communities.
For more than 2 decades supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Croydon to feel welcome and access what they need.
Croydon Refugee Day Centre exists to support Asylum Seeekers, Refugees and migrants primarily in the Croydon area, but during the pandemic they have been supplying clothes and essentials to New Arrivals across London in response to need. It is staffed mainly by volunteers of varying faiths or none from over 20 local churches.