I have just returned from my annual visit to the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park Race Course. This year it was more crowded than ever (yet more evidence of the stability and growth of the Christian Church) and the three floors of exhibitors offered something for everyone, from holidays in the South of France to the opportunity to buy a goat for someone in Asia.
Some of the exhibitors, although working from a Christian perspective and ethic, were understandably profit-making organisations; I refer to insurance companies, furniture manufacturers, publishers and the like. But amongst them there seemed to be an increased number of small registered charities that exist solely to improve the lot of others.
Most people are aware of the larger charities such as the Red Cross or Oxfam and the wonderful work that they do, but many of the smaller charities cannot afford to advertise nationally and prefer to spend what money they receive on doing the job that they were set up to do. “Toybox” for example rescues street children in Latin America and a couple of years ago we had a speaker from “Toybox” at one of our services in St Giles’ and heard of the work that they do. You can find out more about the charity on www.toybox.org.
Another charity that caught my eye this year was “Love Russia” which works with disadvantaged and orphaned children in Russia. Many of the children’s parents are alcoholics because, as it says in their literature, ‘A bottle of vodka is cheaper than a loaf of bread’. The “Love Russia” website is www.loverussia.org.
We read in 1 John chapter 3 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” It continues, “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”. Certainly that is what these charities are doing. May God bless and prosper their work.
Revd Ken Tombs
Hon. Curate.
Before we went on our fifth trip to South Africa we went to the Travel Show at Earl's Court and spent some time talking to the people on the SA stand. Before we left we were asked if we would support their charity - you pay a certain amount and take a football to South Africa with a colourful poster with all the information about the 2010 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa. Apparently we were to look out for a group of children kicking a tin can around and give them the football, which was brightly coloured in the National colours of SA.