Partner Projects

... our work as a church with partners beyond the parish for mission, justice and peace.

Our church works with organisations beyond the parish for the wider mission of the Church and for medical, educational, justice and peace causes. We resource this engagement from the 'Parish Tithe' - the committed allocation of one tenth of the income we receive each year from the giving by individual members. Two-thirds of the allocation goes to organisations working overseas and one-third to organisations addressing national and local need.

Using the voluntary gift income received during 2008, we have given to the work of these organisations.

Merton Homeless Drop-in Centre
The Faith in Action Merton Homeless Drop-in Centre is an inter-faith project providing support and advice for local homeless people. The project works closely with the housing department, drug and probation services, health services and other agencies.

The centre is open on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year. Housed in the Salvation Army Hall in Kingston Road, it’s run by a friendly and caring project management team with twenty volunteers from different faith groups. The drop-in offers a very warm welcome to 30+ vulnerable people each session. They can eat, shower, change their clothes, do their laundry, get sleeping bags, food parcels, engage in social activities and be seen by key agencies & be accompanied to appointments. In short, feel like human beings again.

Click on the YouTube link to see the video and hear our fundraising song (specially written by Linda Kirby): "Who’s gonna love you when you’re down and out".
Merton Homeless on YouTube

Further donations urgently needed.
>>Download a Square Meal appeal leaflet and a Square Meal appeal standing order form.

Contact Person (via Contacts Page): Ann Walker.
Also contact the project at: faithinaction@wimbledonguild.co.uk See the Faith in action website.

Merton Refugee Support
Merton Refugee Support is an inter-church group of people who are concerned to meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees in Merton. They work in partnership with the South London Refugee Association who run Merton Asylum Welcome - a weekly drop-in for refugees and asylum seekers. The drop-in is on Wednesday afternoons between 12.30 - 3.30 at Queens Road Church and is staffed by volunteers. Personnel from health, education and CAB provide advice surgeries.

Merton Refugee Support provides finance for the drop-in lunch, children's activities and outings, adult education opportunities and grants for people who are destitute. Their service makes an enormous difference to the quality of care offered to refugees in Merton. See their website Merton Refugee Support
Contact Person (via Contacts Page): Marcia Woods
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HIV/AIDS Education Project (South Africa)
Our contribution goes to helping to support the Tshwaranang Centre (HIV/AIDS Education Project) in the South African Anglican diocese of Grahamstown.
>> Download Reports from the Tshwaranang Centre: Jan-March 08, April-June 08, July-Sept 08, October-December 2008, January-March 2009, April-June 2009, July-Sept 2009, October-December 2009, and January-March 2010.

We are also supporting the Tshwaranang Vegetable Garden project. See photo of one of the gardens at a school in Ezibeleni township, taken by Sarah Codrington during the Holy Trinity trip in May 2008. (Note from Sarah: school enthusiasm makes this garden a real success and the children get fresh vegetables. The photo shows the head-teacher and a colleague in the garden. See also this photo of one of the staff-room windowsills - the staff are keen!) More about our friends in the Eastern Cape

Contact Person (via Contacts Page): Sarah Codrington

USPG Anglicans in World Mission

The United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (new name: USPG Anglicans in World Mission) works with churches around the world, providing resources that local people need to enable them to grow spiritually, to thrive physically and to have a voice in an unjust world. They work in direct partnership with Anglican churches in over 50 countries. The many projects they support include: work towards peace and justice in Israel/Palestine, support for those living on the edge in the Philippines, healthcare for St James' hospital in Lesotho, and support for the church in Zimbabwe. In 2010 (from 2009 funds) we are particularly supporting the long-term work of USPG in Haiti. USPG also keeps a rapid response fund which helps provide emergency aid in response to natural disasters.

For more, see USPG website and USPG weekly Prayer Diary
Contact Person (via Contacts Page): Liz Hammond

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We have also given from 2009 funds to the work of these projects:

Kingston & Wimbledon YMCA 'Open Room Project' (Detached youth work in Wimbledon)

Prison Advice and Care Trust - see PACT

Inclusive Church - see Inclusive Church

Krasif Aid for their work in Bulgaria, mainly for development work at Tvarditsa Social Home for men with learning and physical disabilities.
Hurcovo Psychiatric Hospital, Bulgaria (we pay for them to have newspapers)

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