Launching this year’s Appeal, Bishop Andrew said: “The last few years have been a very challenging time for many in our communities, faced as they are with the continuing impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the psychological scarring of the Covid pandemic. In my weekly travels around the Diocese, I have been impressed time and again by the many ways in which our churches and schools have been looking to respond – but have also noticed an increasing gap between the needs of the communities and the ability of churches to respond to them. Both finances and volunteers can end up stretched very thinly indeed.
“The Bishop of Guildford’s Communities Fund is there to help bridge that gap, providing grants to support parishes and other church-linked organisations to reach out into the most challenged parts of our communities with the love of Christ. Last year we made six grants totalling £21,000 to different projects throughout the diocese, some of which will be featured across the Diocesan social channels over Lent. We would have been able to do considerably more, had a greater sum been raised through the Lent Appeal and elsewhere, and we would love to be able to increase our donations in 2024.
“The BGCF is run entirely by willing volunteers, so its running costs are negligible. Please could I encourage each one of us to consider making a one-off gift this Lent, and parishes to take a special collection for the BGCF at some point during this season?”