A year in the life of St. Mary Magdalen, Sheet

PACT Christian Aid:
Hilary Bonney

Christian Aid is a National Charity, which aims to provide aid and relief to third world communities. With this aid, the local support of aid workers, prayer and education, the people in these communities are enabled to become self-sufficient.

In the Petersfield Area this charity is part of a PACT initiative and we work closely with the other churches on the major fund -raising activities.

Christian Aid also raises money during the year from a coffee morning held at the Pop In, a publicity stall in Ram's Walk and a plant stall outside Lloyds Bank forecourt. Christian Aid week is always the second week in May (15-21 May 2005) and is the major fund raising event. There is a house to house collection throughout the first week and this year the sponsored walk to Hawkley and back is on Sunday 22 May. More walkers and sponsors are needed. We are very grateful to all the church members who collect from door to door in a locality of their choosing within our Parish. This year our Parish now embraces the new Ramshill Estate and we thus need a few more volunteers please! In 2004 St Mary Magdalen's contribution towards the sum raised for Christian Aid week throughout Petersfield was £??**. Some of the money raised for the tsunami disaster fund will have been apportioned to the work of Christian Aid for which we are grateful.

A year on St Mary Magdalen still requires another person who can share the responsibilities of coordinating our part in those collection and money raising activities. It also needs to be understood that there is always a Christian Aid money raising initiative at Christmas that we might subscribe to.

PACT Welcome Leaflets and Cards:
Ingrid Horne

Twice a year several of the St Mary's congregation deliver PACT Christmas and Easter cards to homes throughout our parish. Popping the cards through letter boxes is not an onerous task and is well suited to a family with children or a dog - the dog would get a walk rather than do the posting!

The team also keep an eye out for new people moving into the parish and deliver a welcoming leaflet. However, the current team is ageing and new people are needed - all that is required is about an hour twice per year. Could any volunteers who feel they could help please contact me.