Seed and Tools Project

Following on from the success in reaching our £11,000 target to fund an HIV/AIDS awareness and education project in the Yei Diocese of southern Sudan, All Saints' Church are now embarking on a new project in association with Tearfund, to raise £10,000 which will be used to provide seeds and tools to families in Melut County, Upper Nile State, South Sudan.

Since the signing of Peace agreement in 2005, there have been many people returning to their home areas and villages. In Melut County, situated in Southern Sudan, 80% of the county's approximate 55,800 inhabitants are recent returnees. Although this is good news, it is placing added burden on resources already in short supply and leading to severe food insecurity.

There are also many other factors that contribute to this food insecurity, including:

• A reduction in rainfall, delaying the harvest and higher prices
• A shortage of seeds in the planting season and restrictions on credit imposed by local banks
• Insufficient food production at a local household level, and an inability to purchase seeds, tools and fertilizer
• Over-reliance on a small number of staple crops, meaning that when these fail the results are disastrous
• Poor knowledge of food preservation and storage facilities

By raising £10,000 the project would provide 625 people with seeds and tools for themselves and their family, enabling them to obtain a better quality of life. In addition for every pound we raise, the EU will give £8

To read more on the three year project plan in place by Tearfund to reduce food insecurity, click here

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Cycling For The Sudan

On the 17th July (just a few days after the Tour d France has taken place), Nick Nelson-Piercy will be cycling one of the stages - 208km! to raise money for our Tools and Seeds Project in the Sudan.

Take a look at Nick's web page for more detail and encourage him on his way if you can.

Click Here to go to Nick's Webpage

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Building Bridges

Building Bridges, our Sudan link, has become a major part of the life of All Saints' Church Burbage. As most of you know, this all arose from a visit by myself and Liz with Lord and Lady Carey to Yei in southern Sudan. The visit was to attend the First Bishops' Conference in southern Sudan and to look at Tearfund projects there.

For us this was a life-changing trip. We came back wanting to do all we could for the people of southern Sudan. With lots of encouragement from Bishop Stephen, the Diocesan Sudan Link and Nicolas, a Sudan committee was set up.

We named the project Building Bridges because our first initiative was to raise money for a bridge which had been demolished during the war. Local villagers were unable to get their produce to market because of the lack of a bridge. We quickly achieved our target of £6,000 and the bridge is now complete.

The congregation and community have been wonderfully supportive and many different events have been organised to help raise the money, including:

• Ballroom dancing classes; which are still going on
• A dance
• A curry night (another one is being planned!)
• Jumble Sale
• Auction
• Quizzes
• Beetle Drive
• Jewellery Making Evening
• Sponsored Run
• Sponsored Slim
• One member of the church raised £500 by shaving his hair off!
• A Nearly new Clothes Sale

Many people have very generously given donations too.

The exciting thing has been how this initiative has brought not only church members together, but church and community. We are so thankful to the congregation and community for the way in which everyone has backed this initiative and been so supportive; having a lot of fun along the way!

We are now nearing the end of our second project, which is to provide money to sponsor HIV counsellors in southern Sudan. HIV is rife there and the needs are desperate.

It is our ultimate aim to build bridges also with the community in southern Sudan, and we hope in the very near future to organise exchanges. We have a number of people who would like to go to Yei and help in any way they can.

When Peter Grant, the International Director of Tearfund, visited us at the end of the first project, he said it was impressive that such a small church should be able to do so much.

So far we have raised around £17,000 for the diocese of Yei in southern Sudan.

Look out for details of more events coming up – or if you have an idea of a fund-raising event of your own, we would love to hear from you! Do have a word with any of the committee:

Barry & Liz Smith
Eileen & Peter Devenish
Chris Gray
Trish Street
Janet Hartwell

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BUILDING BRIDGES – NEARLY NEW SALE

The Nearly New Sale, held in the evening of 15 March, raised almost £800 on the night.  A free drink and a display of more than 400 items of quality ladies’ clothing, accessories and costume jewellery attracted a steady flow of local customers.

I am very grateful to those who helped me organise and run the event, those who so generously donated items for sale and the local community for supporting the evening, which was thoroughly enjoyed by those who attended and walked away with some real bargains! As a result of this successful event, the Building Bridges initiative, promoted by All Saints’ Church, has now reached its £11,000 target to fund an HIV/AIDS awareness and education project in the Yei Diocese of southern Sudan.

Thank you for your support.  Please continue to embrace this ongoing initiative, which is building bridges between our community here in Burbage and struggling communities so far away in southern Sudan. JUDITH GRAY

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Hand Made Jewellery Evening

An evening was held at the Church Centre on the 3rd February, where for £20 participants were able to make their own Jewellery. The profits from the evening were donated in aid of the Sudan Project