“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
Winston Churchill is alleged to have said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Gift Day was launched 2 weeks ago but there is still time left to make a donation.
We aim to distribute the money we collect as soon as possible to the very neediest people both here and overseas.
Please do be as generous as you can be as we do only ask once a year and very penny is used to bring the love of God and help people, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Bex in Uganda at Jenga
Many of us at Sunnyside remember Bex playing the drums in church and her love of children before she set out in her gap year for Jenga. It changed her life and the lives of many of the children and families she met at Mbale, the huge slum area that captured her heart. Her love for the people there has led to so many projects; the Loved Children’s centre providing nursery care with education and support for the parents. With a dedicated team, Loved never turns away a needy child, offering treatment and special diets for those suffering from malnutrition often with underlying causes.
Her latest project involves sponsorship for boys at a home – Suubi House (meaning house of hope) – many living there having lived on the streets locally. They have been involved with drugs and crime, but are offered teaching about skills for life and education. Many choose to return home to their families. A container of gym equipment was donated, along with a professional boxing ring. It is hoped that this can be set up to provide sessions for paid members providing the finance, allowing young men to train freely as instructors during working hours; they would be required to learn about mental health, family planning, addiction and responsibility. Unemployment locally is incredibly high with only one in ten 18-year-olds likely to find work, many turning to crime.
The Leprosy Mission
Since 1874 the Leprosy mission has led the fight against this disease that attacks the nerve endings close to the skin, resulting in lack of feeling and eventually the loss of use so that working becomes impossible. This Christian organisation believes this treatable and preventable disease can be eradicated in the 27 countries across Africa and Asia where there are still many people affected. Their mission statement is “Leprosy defeated – Lives transformed”. As Jesus offered compassion and caring, they provide inclusion of all sufferers regardless of their belief or race. Everyone is treated as an equal in the quest to rid the world of leprosy with pioneering research on drugs, surgery, and developing vaccines.
Sunnyside’s Diana White is a trustee.
MAF
MAF is a Christian organisation founded in 1945 providing aviation communication and learning technology services to more than 1000 Christian and humanitarian agencies as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous people in the world’s most remote places. Thay believe every community should have the essentials for life, doctors, pastors and schools. A MAF plane takes off or lands every 6 minutes. Sam and Abby Beguma – our mission partners – live in Kampala with their two daughters as Sam flies all over Africa. Recently he has been delivering much-needed supplies to the areas of Kenya devastated by floods. MAF aims to bring help and healing to the most isolated places where there is little access to the outside world except by air, bringing physical and spiritual care.
DENS
We have supported DENS – Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter – for several years. It is now so much more than a night shelter – and now is seen as the first port of call for people who are facing homelessness, poverty and social exclusion. Its services include a day centre, therapy, outreach, social enterprise projects, a food bank, etc. The support Sunnyside is able to give via Gift Day and our food collection contributes to this vital work. In the year 2023/24 we contributed 54 kg of food to the food bank. One foodbank recipient commented: “When I rang the bell of the food bank and the door was answered, it felt as if I was given a warm hug. I was never made to feel guilty or inadequate for needing to come here.”
In the letter of thanks we received in December 2023, DENS wrote: “Your generosity ensures that we can continue to keep all our vital services up and running and enables us to be there for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Charis Geoghegan volunteers with DENS. It was lovely that Charis and other DENS volunteers were able to join us and have a stall at our recent Community Fete.
Sunnyside Rural Trust
Our nearest neighbour and a recipient of gifts from Gift Day for several years, Sunnyside Rural Trust offer training and work experience for over 170 vulnerable people including those with learning disabilities, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Recently, the Trust have been in the news for their innovative ideas and projects, for example a selection of their hand-refurbished tools were on display in the NGS gold-medal-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show; a local garden designer provided them with a peat-free garden that had been shown at the Hampton Court Garden Show.
However, they are in need of funds to ensure they are able to offer their core services – the activity centre is in significant need of an overhaul so it can continue to provide services for people with complex needs. In their letter following our gift in 2023, they wrote: “The roof is leaking in the activity centre and your donation will go towards this.” The Gift came at just the right time.
St Stephens and The Pill Trust
Millie Harrison reports:
At St Stephens, they seek to welcome the local community in to become part of the wider Church community through regular events throughout the week. Their aim is to join in with what God is doing in the city, especially in the area around St Stephens Church building. The Church partners with The Pill Trust to make St Stephens a hub for community.
While I have been staying here, I have seen this aim in action – from the toddler group, uniform swap shop, garden play area, after-school club for Primary aged children, holiday games sessions, food pantry – to involvement with a local hotel housing asylum seekers/refugees. Justin and Lucy Groves are truly part of this community, and I have seen how well known and respected they are. They speak of having “godly ambition”, and have big plans for the future, such as purchasing and refurbishing an old US-style school bus to become a mobile youth centre.
It has been a privilege to spend some time here, in a place where God is so obviously at work, and to see how Gift Day money is so needed and so well spent.
GO Grants
Go Grants were used to encourage young people to travel overseas to work with a Christian organisation; however, now anyone of any age can apply and applications are welcomed to work within the UK. £500 or one-third of the total cost may be awarded, whichever is the least, and can be used to run a project agreed by the host organisation. This can be during a holiday or time out but must be with a recognised Christian organisation undertaking a specific role or task that benefits the local community. Applications should be in writing and are individually considered on merit and on the financial situation of the individual. For full details, please talk to Rebecca, Paul Craig or Penny Harrison.
Please help us to give generously to those who are so needy physically,
mentally and spiritually, both locally and overseas. All our charities have
been carefully vetted and many have direct links with Sunnyside. We guarantee
the money will be well used.