Christian Aid was founded by the churches of Britain and Ireland as Christian Reconstruction in Europe in the aftermath of World War Two with the aim of doing everything possible to help European refugees who had lost everything. The name changed to Christian Aid in 1964 as a recognition of the success of Christian Aid Week, which has taken place every year since 1957. Today Christian Aid works globally to eradicate the causes of poverty with the aim of achieving equality, dignity and freedom for all regardless of faith or nationality. Christian Aid provides urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes.
At Crown Court we support Christian Aid mainly through fund raising. During Christian Aid Week we take to London’s tube and mainline stations and collect from commuters as they arrive for and leave from work. In December we sing carols under the tree in Trafalgar Square while collecting from late night Christmas shoppers and passers-by.
From time to time other activities at Crown Court Are used to help Christian Aid. It is one of the charities to regularly benefit from the retiring offering at our quarterly communion services. Sometimes members and friends of the congregation undertake special fund raising efforts in support of Christian Aid, such as a four-month, 4,112-mile bicycle ride across the USA in 2012 which raised over £4,500 for Christian Aid. In Crown Court’s three-hundredth anniversary year, 2019, the silent auction and raffle at the Tercentenary Ball raised £5,000 which was split between Christian Aid and another of our favourite charities.
The Christian Aid weeks in 2020 and 2021 were severely constrained by the restrictions in place to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. As a result, we were unable to carry out our usual collections at London railway and tube stations. However, using the electronic resources provided by Christian Aid, and despite not being able to meet to plan what we would do, we were able to raise over £1,250 during and after Christian Aid Week in both years. After missing out in 2020 we were pleased to be able to sing again in Trafalgar Square in December 2021, raising over £400 to add to some £500 raised in other collections during the year. In 2022, although we have not yet been able to resume station collections for Christian Aid Week we have done some street collection around Covent Garden and made several collections in church. Christian Aid and its work remain close to our hearts and we will continue to find ways to support it.
If you would like to learn more about how Crown Court Church supports Christian Aid, and the activities planned to do so, please contact the church’s Christian Aid Convener at christianaid@crowncourtchurch.org.uk.
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