Charity
Christian Aid Week 2026 – 10-16 May
Where hardship means hunger… urban farmers can grow hope.
In the crowded and noisy settlements of Nairobi, most parents wake every single day knowing that they must go and earn money, otherwise their children won’t eat that evening. With no formal work opportunities, heartbreakingly low pay, and no social support, it’s a precarious and frightening daily struggle that no family should have to face.
The aching hunger is bad enough. The relentless stress is overwhelming. ‘When I wake up, I have a lot of worries. Sometimes I don't have food,’ says Fridah Moraa, a recently widowed grandmother determined to support her family on what little she earns. ‘Now I'm responsible for everything.’ With school costs, rent and water to cover, providing food for every meal is a problem that never goes away.
But Fridah’s faith in God, and in her own ability to provide, is unwavering. With tools, seeds and specialist training from Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope, Fridah is now making the most of a small space in the city to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables that she can cook for her family or sell on her market stall.
Reflecting on her new role in life, Fridah says: 'I never thought that a woman could also be a provider.’ With her inner strength, unstoppable resolve, and a little help from Beacon of Hope, Fridah’s overcoming poverty to feed the youngest members of her family and protect them from the threat of malnutrition.
Fridah rightly takes pride in all she’s achieving: ‘When I harvest what I’ve planted, it makes me happy. Urban farming has changed my life.’
Christian Aid and its supporters are joining together once again during Christian Aid Week (10-16 May) to fundraise in all kinds of ways. With seven days to make a difference, every gift, act and prayer counts. What will you do to support someone like Fridah to grow food, protect their children from hunger, and nurture hope?
- £5 could buy the seeds that kickstart a family’s nutritious vegetable garden.
- £10 could pay for the pair of chickens that produce fertiliser for an urban farmer.
- £15 could purchase the hand tools that mean an urban farmer can tend their crops.
- £30 could buy the trio of cone garden planters that host hundreds of plants in a tiny city space.
Find out more about the campaign at www.caweek.org.
If you would like to make a donation giving envelopes are available in church or you can donate online at Christian Aid Week 2026. Thank you.
Donations made at Music for Lunch on Saturday 9th May will be in support of Christian Aid Week.
Lent
Appeal 2025/h3>
The Bishop of Chelmsford's Lent Appeal 2025:
Supporting the Christian charity
Housing Justice in their work across England and
Wales to alleviate homelessness.
Housing Justice works in partnership with churches, community and faith groups to help provide those experiencing homelessness with a safe and stable home. Its work is channelled through four main projects aiming to tackle homelessness at grassroots level:
Citadel – a volunteer-led homelessness prevention project supporting people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness to find or sustain their tenancies and establish a home.
Refugee Hosting and Lodgings Programmes – Housing Justice works with a pool of volunteer hosts who welcome vulnerable individuals into their homes. The Hosting project offers a lifeline to people seeking sanctuary and vulnerable migrants who have no safe housing options. Rita and her son (pictured below) were Ukrainian refugees for whom Housing Justice managed to secure a placement with a host who had a separate two-bedroom annex where the pair could live so long as they paid their own bills, which Rita was able to do with support.
Faith in Affordable Housing – Housing Justice works with churches of all denominations to release surplus land and redundant buildings for the creation of new affordable housing.
The Winter Night Shelter Network – Housing Justice has helped over one thousand churches to respond to homelessness in their local area by supporting them in setting up and operating winter night shelters for people who would otherwise be rough-sleeping.
With an estimated 3,898 people sleeping rough each night in England, the work of faith and community projects like Housing Justice is vital.
Speaking about this year’s Appeal, The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, The Bishop of Chelmsford said: “The funds raised through the 2025 Bishop’s Lent Appeal will support Housing Justice in providing a community-driven and innovative response to homelessness and those in housing need, including in areas if Chelmsford diocese. Their approach gives individuals the opportunity not only to find suitable accommodation, but to create a home and a sense of belonging.”
You can read more about the Housing Justice on their website at https://housingjustice.org.uk/.
Making a Donation
Donations can be made online at www.chelmsford.anglican.org/lent-appeal. If you would prefer to donate by bank transfer please use the following details:
Chelmsford Diocese Board of Finance
Barclays Bank
Sort Code: 20-20-35
Account Number:
60269603
Reference: Lent Appeal 25
Donations will be accepted until 1 July 2025.
