News Entry
Tithing allocations completed
Date Posted: Wednesday 01 October 2008
Tithing allocations for 2007-08 have been completed. Each year the Vestry reserves 10 per cent of its disposable income for donation to charitable causes nominated by members of the congregation. The sum expended this year totalled £8200.
The following were recipients of awards this year:
Positive Action in Housing – a Scottish charity providing housing for migrants refugees from ethnic minorities
The Lisu project – a top-up payment was made to this project which supports persecuted minority Christians in Burma. The project is supported by our overseas fund; this was an additional payment to assist with cyclone relief.
Fareshare Edinburgh – The Cyrenians run a scheme in Edinburgh that picks up 462 tonnes of surplus food from 27 companies around the city. The food is then delivered to homelessness projects - not blindly but according to what they will actually use, so there’s no waste.
Carol-Anne Alcorn is the programme manager: “The project is all about ‘a hand up and not a hand out.’ As Cyrenians celebrate their 40th birthday, we continue to work with individuals who are living on the margins of our society and we now have evidence that their involvement in the project makes a major contribution to the sustainability of a tenancy and an increase in self-esteem.
An important element of the project is teaching people the skills of independent living so that they can work their way towards a settled lifestyle. Cyrenians run 118 cooking at home classes for people who have little or no skills in basic cookery, budgeting and food hygiene.
Our contribution makes a very practical and effective difference - we help to keep one of the two chill vans that pick up the surplus food around the city on the road. The money contributes to repairs and the ever-increasing fuel costs: “Fuel costs around £7,000 a year and we spend another £2,700 on van maintenance,” says Carol-Anne.
Streetwork UK – As many of you know, OSP’s has a long connection with the Ark and its work for homeless people. As you also probably know, arrangements on how the Ark is run and funded have all changed now and much of the money once provided by the Council has gone.
Josie Soutar is Senior Administrator for Streetwork, which has taken over the Ark: “Our plans are to reopen the Ark Cafe and develop this as a social enterprise that will get vulnerable people off the streets and into long-term sustainable employment. We would also like to continue with the successful voucher scheme and ensure that those who need it most are fed and provided with support.”
Our help will put some young people through that training and make sure they have the essential Food Hygiene Certificate. They’ll also start getting to grips with team working and get the basics of how a business is run. Many of these youngsters have been homeless for long periods, living on the street, and have fallen through the care and education systems.
Their morale and self-confidence has been battered and families don’t tend to be around to offer support. As Josie says: “A huge thank you to everyone at Old Saint Paul’s. This money will really benefit our social enterprise scheme by helping young people who are homeless with training and employment opportunities.”
Faith in Older People – FIOP seeks to celebrate the lives of older people, supporting spiritual care through families and a network of faith communities. As Maureen O’Neill, who manages the project out of Diocesan HQ, puts it: “We celebrate ageing and faith through developing an understanding of spiritual care in older age; offer support and training to pastoral carers and ordained members on an ecumenical basis. We support caregivers within health and long term care institutions to enhance the quality of life and well-being of older people by ensuring the inclusion of spiritual care.”
FIOP came to us looking for some help with the cost of creating, printing and distributing its quarterly newsletter. This is the main tool for the group in telling people what it has been doing and encouraging more of them to become interested in its activities.
The newsletter is circulated to around 500 organisations and individuals in Edinburgh and the surrounding area and wants to increase its coverage in the west and north-east of Scotland where volunteers are expanding the work.
Please remember all these organisations and their beneficiaries in your prayers. We shall shortly commence seeking nominations for projects to support in 2009. The nomination form can be accessed from our download area.
Category: Groups, Tithing Group, Vestry & Committees, Vestry
