December: Children's Homes in Kerala Stage

There was a brief history and outline of the work of the Chiks charity in the December 2010 Highbury News, and its founder and co-ordinator, Robin Radley addressed the Highbury congregation last June. A synopsis of his entertaining update was that, like most charities, Chiks is struggling to meet the needs of our friends in India. Donations from Britain have dropped and prices of even the most basic requirements of life in India have escalated. Demands for help have also risen, so a vicious circle is in place.

Since 1999, through Chiks, one Children’s home, Karunanilayam, has been established and two others have been given great support. All three homes are in the state of Kerala, South India, a region also known as ‘Gods Own Country’ for its beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, beauty does not always mean wealth.
Karunanilayam, is run by Sister Mary Mathew, and currently over 30 children are resident. They are fed, clothed, educated and, most of all, are happy. I’ve been associated with Chiks since 2002, and seen expansion of the home from a single house to an extensive plot of multi-purpose buildings.

Likewise, the two homes in the mountain regions of Kerala, Little Flower Mercy Home and, even more remote, Carmel Matha Santhi Bavan have much to thank Chiks for.

Little Flower Mercy Home was started over 20 years ago by Molly and Mathew Manuel to shelter one hundred destitute and mentally-handicapped adults. Seeing a need for shelter for wandering children more recently, their scope has widened. Again, purpose built buildings have been erected, but already they are full to overflowing, partly because the Indian government has decreed that boys and girls must not share the same facilities.

Carmel Matha Santhi Bavan, run by Brother Joy Daniel, houses boys of all ages. The help of Chiks has also seen that home rebuilt and extended; and significantly, a large area of farmland purchased with a view to self-sufficiency. The land was already planted with banana, coconut, coffee trees and rice paddy.
Those are the successes. Now, the disappointments:-

Each month there are worries that bills will be met and food available. Meat has become a treat rather than a regular part of the diet.

At Karunanilayam, children have grown up, and will leave school. Then what? A training centre was planned to teach sewing skills and I.T. to the girls, also to be open to other girls in the neighbourhood. That project is now on hold, indefinitely.

Little Flower had an adjacent large plot of farmland on the market which would have been ideal for self-sufficiency. Chiks could not raise the asking price (which was hiked when the seller realised European finance was involved). However, a generous landowner has offered a smaller plot where a new boys’ home can now be built.

Carmel Matha Santhi Bavan farmland needs fencing to prevent theft of produce by needy neighbours. Again, insufficient funds are available.

If you actually see for yourself the happy faces of these children compared with the faces of those begging on the roadside, emotions are touched.

Some have horrific backgrounds ... death or illness of parents, desperate poverty leading to alcoholism and suicide. A boy saw his father step out in front of a train,  another spent his first years tied to a table then was given away in exchange for a cooking pot. More recently, a boy raised in squalor with an idle drunken father saw his mother die in agony after being beaten and poisoned by the father. While the man is in prison the boy is now safe in one of the homes.

Children may be from unknown origins, could be Christian, Hindu, Moslem or Buddhist. All join in daily prayers to Jesus to give thanks for their blessings, for Chiks and for supporters in the UK. All the Homes are sustained by an abundance of love, faith and prayer. Need I say that more support is always needed.
India has great wealth but, thus far, no welfare system. It could be decades before cultural traditions, the caste system and dowries (both of which are technically illegal) and responsibility for the destitute change.
Meanwhile, children do not deserve to suffer, and Chiks is doing all it can to ensure that some don’t.
The work goes on. Robin’s regular ‘Letter from India’ is always cheerful and optimistic, but so often frustratingly disappointing that more cannot be achieved as fast as his aspirations would wish!

Sue Cole

November - Langley House Trust

As a Christian Charity, our mission is to work with those who are at risk of offending, or have offended, establishing positive foundations so that they can lead crime-free lives and become contributors to society. At Langley House Trust we believe all people are:

 made in God’s image
 loved by Him regardless
 called into community
 offered redemption by His grace
 promised His glory

Our Vision - The Trust will work towards the fulfillment of its vision of a crime-free society where no-one is unfairly disadvantaged or excluded because of their past.

The Knole in Cheltenham is a Registered Care Home, providing accommodation for fourteen men aged 30 years and over. Our aims are to enable and equip former offenders to address their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs within a caring Christian environment; and to assist each person to progress towards more personal independence, learning life and social skills in order to live a fulfilling and crime-free life. We also offer a floating support service which is able to support residents in their own accommodation after their stay at the project. The Knole is committed to achieving equal opportunities for all. Religion, race, nationality, disability, age and sexual orientation will not be part of the selection criteria. We will challenge any discriminatory attitude within the house. The Staff provide each resident with a confidentiality policy, through which they seek to safeguard and keep secure all confidential information received regarding an individual.  With your support we can continue our work to help overcome the challenges faced by our residents such as gaining meaningful employment and/or voluntary work, furthering education, enhancing social skills in order for them to rebuild their lives and become part of the wider community.

If you wish to find out more about our valuable work please visit our website www.langleyhousetrust.org www.langleyhousetrust.org or contact The Knole on 01242 526978

October Listening Post

“Listening Post is a professional voluntary counselling service, Christian in foundation, formed twenty years ago to relieve emotional and psychological distress in Christians and non-Christians alike. We are an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and work within their Ethical Framework. We provide counselling for anyone over 18, regardless of financial status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, colour or ethnic origin.


We serve any resident in this county, including those who might otherwise be financially prevented from accessing professional counselling support. Private counselling can cost up to £50 an hour – a cost that many people desperately in need cannot afford. Unlike private practitioners there is no set fee for our services. All we ask is that, based upon individual means, our clients make a donation per session.

If, as a client, you draw support from Christianity or any faith and want that to play a part in your counselling we work within the context of your faith. If you wish to work without reference to any religious beliefs, you are equally welcome. A Listening Post counsellor’s professional concern is to gain an understanding of how you see yourself and of what distresses you, and then work with you to determine how you can best be supported.

We have three counselling centres in Gloucestershire, and you are welcome to contact any of our centres about counselling; other enquiries are best made to our main office in Gloucester.”

Cheltenham: 01242 256060 Stroud: 02453 750123 Gloucester: 01452 383820

As with so many of the charities we support, Listening Post is struggling with both the increases in their costs and the volume of clients needing their help. They are very grateful for any help we can give them.

I was struck by the “Thought for the Month” on their website in September, when I was writing this piece, and would like to share it with you.

Mary Michael

“Often our call in life grows out of the compassion that we have built up because of our own woundedness. In that sense we can begin to see our woundedness as a gift rather than a failure; it is out of our woundedness and our personal limitations that our healing gifts will come; healing, praying, loving, all go hand in hand. Healing is loving; when we heal, we love; when we love, we heal. Sometimes in our life we can try to solve a problem, and there is a time for that, but sometimes just letting ourselves love again and be loved can solve many problems. When we get burned out, it isn’t usually because we are doing too many things, but often because we are not letting ourselves be loved.”

Peter Hoskin - Jesuit priest

and clinical psychologist

September Nicaragua Appeal

In September we combine the monthly charity with the annual Harvest Appeal, and this year we are supporting the Congregational Federation’s work, with Christian Aid, to help projects in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is approximately the same size as England and is in Central America, between Honduras and Costa Rica. It has a population of almost 6 million people, a quarter of them living in the capital city Managua.

The country, which lies within the tropics, is regularly hit by hurricanes and tropical storms that sweep across the Atlantic each year. The destruction these cause have held back the country’s economic development. Nicaragua’s problems have been made worse by its turbulent recent history.
Following many years of military dictatorship, a revolution in 1979 and a counter revolution in the 1980s left the country’s infrastructure ruined and its people desperately poor. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti: 80 per cent of the population live on less than US$2 per day.



Christian Aid in Nicaragua
The country faces two key challenges that Christian Aid and its partners are seeking to tackle.
Climate change: Nicaragua is one of the three countries in the world worst affected by weather catastrophes, and the United Nations has warned that storms here will only get worse.

Economic justice: in Nicaragua, 80% of urban jobs are in small companies, and 90% of rural businesses are linked to small, family-run farms. One of the biggest challenges for small producers is being able to reach a market where they can sell their products. With limited access to transport, little bargaining power and no marketing or sales expertise, many struggle to earn a living.

Christian Aid works with three main partner organisations in Nicaragua. Our gifts will be funding the overall Nicaragua country programme.

This summary is taken from the Congregational Federation’s website. If you are able to access it yourself you will find details of individual projects, and I am sure we will be sharing more details in church during this month.
Mary Michael

Gloucestershire Kidney Patients’ Association is a registered charity which was formed in 1989 to help kidney patients attending Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. This includes haemodialysis patients attending the Cotswold Dialysis Centre at the hospital and also patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. This kind of dialysis has two types. The most commonly used type is known as Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD). In this form patients have fluid in their abdomen 24 hours a day. At the end of each period of dialysis, they have to change the dialysis fluid themselves. The other type is known as Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD). ‘Automated’ means that a machine changes the dialysis fluid for the person, usually at night.  Membership also includes people who are waiting for dialysis or kidney transplants as well as those who have had their transplants.

The Association has a membership of over 200, most of whom are in Gloucestershire, but some also attend GRH from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Wiltshire.  The aim is to support patients, give them holidays, help with transport to and from hospital, and organise fund raising. Most of the committee are either patients or relatives of patients and have an insight into the needs of other kidney patients. They are at hand to lend an ear to problems, point people in the right direction for specific help and generally be a help to them. They also offer advice on help obtainable from the National Kidney Federation, including the help line and obtaining Kidney Life magazine. They also subscribe towards further specific local research projects at the hospital and of course promote the National Organ Donor Register.

Gloucestershire KPA has recently been able to buy pressure-relieving pads for the dialysis chairs in the unit as well as equipment that may be outside the NHS budget.  Some patients who are on home dialysis may not have space to store the fluids required and the association is able to help in the building of a suitable lean-to.  Two holidays a year are planned and in May five patients and their carers had a week’s holiday in Bournemouth where they had outings arranged around their dialysis sessions.

June - BackUp

BackUp was founded in 1986 by the former British and European Freestyle Ski Champion and James Bond stunt double Mike Nemesvary, whose life was devastated when he broke his neck during a training session. Despite being paralysed from the shoulders down, Mike was determined to get back to the life he enjoyed.  BackUp was initially set up to offer ski courses for those affected by spinal cord injury.
In 1988, the charity formed a partnership with The Calvert Trust and began to expand its courses to challenge and empower people to get “back up“ to a place they were at before their accident. Their support is not solely for people with spinal injuries who wish to participate in sporting activities.

“Our vision is:
A world where people with a spinal cord injury can realise their full potential.
Our mission is to:
 Inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to transform their lives.
  Challenge perceptions of disability.
  Deliver services to build confidence and independence, and offer a supportive network.

Our values:
Driven by the needs of people with spinal cord injury, we are passionate about transforming lives.
Through challenge and fun we open up possibilities to develop, achieve and get the most out of life.
We respect individuality and embrace diversity.
We strive for quality and excellence in all we do. “

Through their accredited mentoring service an individual can be linked with a trained volunteer mentor who is a similar age and injury level, or a family mentor whose relative has a similar injury.  The mentor, from any walk of life, is usually a spinal cord injured peer or relative whose life experiences are relevant.
Once matched with a mentor they will telephone to arrange how often future contact is made and whether that will be by telephone or, if possible, by meeting up. Most mentoring relationships take place over 10 contacts.

BackUp will be our chosen charity for June, and we will also give half of any profit from the Aber Valley Choir Concert to them.
Our local link, and my reason for nominating this charity, is because my son is on the waiting list to train as a mentor having suffered a spinal injury when he was 19.

May - Woodlands House of Prayer Trust

Brunel Manor is held in trust by the Woodlands House of Prayer Trust, founded by two ladies, Margaret Barbour and Vera Hawkins, 70 years ago this July, when they purchased two houses in London for ‘the establishment of a home for the purpose of affording the means of physical and spiritual help to those in need’. The trust then moved to Eastbourne before buying Watcombe Manor, Torquay (now Brunel Manor) in January 1963 for £28,500. The house and grounds were intended to be Brunel’s retirement home but he died before the house was built.

The Trust now operates from three buildings, the Manor, the Court and the Lodge, as a Christian Holiday and Conference Centre. Many church groups meet for weekends throughout the year and feedback from guests shows how much the peaceful atmosphere, the extensive facilities, as well as the good food and warm hospitality means to them. Themed breaks, often with a visiting speaker, are also popular and guests regularly express their appreciation of the ministry which is provided.

The Court, originally the stables to the Manor, has recently been refurbished to provide accommodation for schools, youth groups and university Christian Unions.

A very important aspect of the charity’s work is the support it can provide for individuals or families at difficult times in their lives. Recently, they were privileged to be able to work with another local charity to provide free accommodation for a family with a very sick family member. The charity has a hospitality fund which is used to subsidise or pay for such provision.

Friends of Brunel Manor receive regular updates on the work at the Manor and are very faithful prayer warriors! Many contribute regularly financially and some pay frequent visits. One Friend stayed at the Manor ten times in 2011!

The motto of the Trust is ‘Given to Hospitality’ and, as the tricky path of Health and Safety compliance in a Grade II listed building is negotiated, the Trustees are daily aware of their reliance on God’s strength and guidance, as they seek to continue to give Him glory through ministry and service for the next 70 years!

For more information visit http://www.brunelmanor.com

April Maggie's Cancer Care Centre

“Maggie's is about empowering people to live with, through and beyond cancer by bringing together professional help, communities of support and building design to create exceptional centres for cancer care.  Maggie’s Centres are for anyone affected by cancer. They are places where people are welcome whenever they need us - from being diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or following treatment, to recurrence, end of life or in bereavement. We also welcome family and friends, as they are often deeply affected by cancer too. We know that those who love and look after someone with cancer can feel just as frightened, vulnerable and uncertain.”

Maggie's Caring Centre in Cheltenham is a place to turn to for help with any of the problems, small or large, associated with cancer.

Under the one roof you can access help with information, benefits advice, psychological support both individually and in groups, courses such as Tai Chi and Creative Writing as well as stress reducing strategies.  You don't have to make an appointment or be referred, and everything we offer is free of charge. It is there for anybody who feels the need for help, which includes those who love and look after someone with cancer, who often feel as frightened and vulnerable as those who actually have the disease.

Due to advances in medical care, the number of people living with and beyond cancer is increasing, so the support available to them becomes ever more important. The Cheltenham Maggie's Centre is just minutes away from the oncology unit at Cheltenham General Hospital and was designed by Sir Richard McCormac. It is a beautiful building, sympathetic to the needs of individuals; plenty of light, beautiful oak and bright soft furnishings which all make for an uplifting and homely space.

The Centre serves the three counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire where 35,000 people live with cancer."

Many thanks for choosing to support Maggie's. If any of your congregation would like to come and see our beautiful centre in Cheltenham, please do let me know.

Lisa Robinson
Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre
The Lodge, College Baths Road
Cheltenham
GL53 7QB
( 01242 250611

March - Cheltenham Youth for Christ

At CYFC we are greatly encouraged by the prayer and support we receive from people such as yourself. On a daily basis we see the fruit of the prayer that is offered up and the change that takes place in the lives of the young people. We work with over 150 young people every week with a majority of these being unchurched young people we meet in schools - largely in All Saints Academy and Pittville, with additional work in Bournside and Pate’s. One of the young people we’ve worked with for the last four years is Lucie, and recently she wrote the following:

“Rock Solid and meeting Cheltenham Youth for Christ are one of the best things that has happened to me. The team are amazing, they are friendly, welcoming, supportive, the list goes on. People’s initial thoughts, when you say a club based around the teachings of God and Jesus, are ‘boring’ and ‘rubbish’. Rock Solid is the complete opposite: they create ways to teach through fun and games. Whether it’s an egg and spoon race or doing quizzes, there’s always that element of fun. Without CYFC I wouldn’t be where I am today, Rock Solid has taught me to be myself and do what I believe is right for me, even if people don’t agree with me or think that I’m stupid. Rock Solid has helped increase my confidence. Leading a session was an experience that helped me with my confidence.”

We have never had so much demand for our work which continues to expand. Through CYFC young people experience change in their lives as they encounter Jesus through what is often the only Christian presence in their lives.

Besides our schools work we are also developing Underground, a prayer network of young people praying for their friends to meet and be changed by Jesus.  We have about 20 young people involved in this but are looking to have 500 young people praying within the next five years. If we get this many young people involved it will, according to sociologists, be enough people to change the culture amongst young people in our town. Since starting Underground last year the young people involved have told us about the changes they have seen in the lives of their friends, with many having conversations about faith, and some young people have even gone to church.

Please pray for these points:

• Finance - we face many challenges and need to see a large rise in income in order to maintain our staffing levels.
• We have a number of trust applications in at the moment, please pray for success.
• For continued success and favour in our work.

For more information go to CYFC on the web