FINANCIAL UPDATE

The Gift Day envelopes for St George's Day have so far raised £673 (including £123.50 gift aid tax refunds due on donations), and the splendid Organ Recital and Concert on May 10th given by Canon Graham Holcombe and talented members of our congregation raised £192 for church funds.

£176.52 was contributed for the Bishop's Lent Appeal supporting two charities this year - the Rosemary Foundation, a palliative care nursing service at home for the terminally ill, operating in mid-Hampshire and the St Nicholas Seminary, Cape Coast, Ghana, the only Anglican Theological college in Ghana, founded in 1975 and serving ordinands for the whole of West Africa.

Lent boxes realised £34.50 for St Mary's Axim Ghana our linked parish, £35.40 for the Society of the Holy Cross/Mission Direct and £10.83 for the USPG to add to April's retiring collection of £133.57 for the same charity. I note the USPG describe themselves on their collection boxes as "a major mission agency of the Anglican Church in Britain and Ireland founded in 1701, working in partnership with the Anglican and United Churches in more than 50 countries worldwide, exchanging people, resources and training for mission." I certainly had not appreciated they were founded over 300 years ago.

The Christian Aid Hunger lunch raised £80.10 and the Lent Group collected £15 to support the Biblelands charity.

Green planned giving envelopes for use from August cost £111.47.

LINDA WAINWRIGHT
Hon. Treasurer to the PCC