Christians Against Poverty (CAP) aim to walk the 143 miles of the Pilgrims’ Way route during the month of October, cutting through the Guildford Diocese.
Running from Winchester to Canterbury, CAP’s services in Southeast England are joining together to walk the popular hiking route that cuts right through some of the prettiest parts of the diocese.
The #PilgrimsAgainstPoverty challenge also ties in with Challenge Poverty Week (16-22 October) with the aim of raising awareness of the financial struggles many live with and the support that is available.
They are taking on the route through the diocese in two stints. The first took place on Friday 13 October walking the 10.5 miles from Farnham to Guildford. The second is a slightly longer 13.5-mile section from Box Hill in Dorking to Guildford, which will take place on Saturday 28 October.
There is still time to join the walk on the 28 October (joining details below) which will be at a steady pace. There’s also an optional shorter walk from Millmead Church up to St Martha’s Hill to attend the midday concert at St Martha’s Church.
CAP is a national charity that works to see “Transformed lives. Thriving churches. An end to the UK poverty.” By partnering with local churches to support people to become debt-free, find work, and escape poverty.
Fourteen CAP Centres, including eight Debt Centres, four Life Skills and two Job Clubs, cover five of the deaneries in the diocese – Runnymede, Woking, Epsom, Aldershot and Guildford.
The CAP partnership in Guildford shows true unity in the fight against poverty with services being run through a joint effort of 17 local churches across a number of denominations including seven Anglican churches.
With around one in five people currently living in poverty in the Southeast of England* the work of CAP continues to be important.
You can support them through prayer, volunteering, joining the #PilgrimsAgainstPoverty challenge (email CAP’s Continuous Improvements Lead, Nick Walden) or financial support. Visit the CAP website to find out more, support the walking challenge here.
*The Joseph Rowntree Foundation