Outreach at Lion Walk Church is about raising awareness of human need and supporting community projects worldwide. We regularly support projects in our local community and across the world, with funds raised from our lunchtime concerts and from donations from members.
We collect for the Christian Aid door-to-door collections during Christian Aid Week. Through the period of Harvest Thanksgiving, we have gathered in donations for the local Soup Run, which teams from our congregation support each month, as well as our substantial contributions from the congregation for Commitment for Life. At Christmas-time we raise funds from the Christmas Tree Festival and from Christmas services for the Colchester Night Shelter and the Colchester and Tendring Women’s Refuge.
We normally support one ‘focus charity’ which changes once or twice a year, and then we also donate smaller sums of money to other charities, with a particular focus on those based in our own community or smaller charities. Our focus charity at present is The Samaritans of Colchester, Tendring, and Suffolk Borders. Here are details of some charities to which we have recently donated:
Samaritans of Colchester, Tendring and Suffolk Borders (Lion Walk Focus Charity)
Based in Walsingham Road, the Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal. You can hear from others about how they have been helped. Please don’t suffer alone.
Lepra
An international organisation based in Colchester: today over 600 people will be diagnosed with leprosy More than 50 will be children. There are millions of children, women and men living with leprosy worldwide. Although completely curable, many people are unable to access treatment, and are unaware of the disease, even though the cure is free. Lepra works to find, treat and rehabilitate these hidden people.
Embrace The Middle East
Embrace the Middle East is a Christian charity with over 160 years’ experience helping people of all faiths and none to free themselves from a life of poverty and injustice. Together with local Christian communities we’re bringing lasting change to the Middle East through healthcare, education and community development projects.
Shelter Box
Right now, around 85 million people around the world have been made homeless by natural disaster and conflict. We’re working to change this. By providing emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster, we’re transforming despair into hope. We are impatient to see a world where no family is left without shelter.
Music in our Bones
Music In Our Bones is a small local charity that specialises in bringing harmony singing to Family Carers and to people managing the physical and mental health issues which can affect us all. Our groups reach people managing life with Parkinsons’, Stroke, MS, dementia, anxiety, depression, bereavement and recovery from enduring mental health issues. Its eight highly accessible and joyful singing groups combat the isolation so many people face through song. Our singing lift spirits, and encourages people disadvantaged by illness and caring roles to feel vibrantly alive and part of a real community again. Last year the charity ran 227 singing sessions for 375 people, and 13 taster singing workshops reached a further 284 people in support groups run in community settings.
Red Cross – Relief work following hurricanes Irma and Maria
The Caribbean has been hit by a series of hurricanes, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Thousands of people have had their lives ripped apart and their homes destroyed. Red Cross volunteers in every country in the hurricane’s path are helping those affected. This includes those in the British Red Cross’ Overseas Branches Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The British Red Cross, along with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and other Red Cross Societies, is preparing for a massive, multi-country relief and recovery effort.
Affiliations:
Amnesty International – we have having regular presence at their conferences and support activities, such as card signing around Christmas-time.