This year, for the first time, Chipperfield churches will organise a House to House collection during Christian Aid Week, 14-20 May. 
In 2005 £14.7 million was raised in Christian Aid Week, the last £1 million coming from the Inland Revenue with more than 400,000 people signing the Gift Aid declaration on the red envelopes.
Individually we can do very little to MAKE POVERTY HISTORY, but by adding our voice to the thousands who send post cards to their MPs  we can influence the way laws relating to international trade are made and by joining the 300,000 or so Christian Aid house-to-house collectors this year we can enable Christian Aid to transform the lives of many people now living in poverty, supporting their efforts to help themselves.
Christian Aid was the first ever house-to-house collection and is the largest grant giving overseas development agency in the UK with an income in 2004-5 of 79.9 m.
It is much easier to do nothing and persuade ourselves that the money doesn’t get there.  But these days there are numerous opportunities to go and see for ourselves.  There are many reports from those who have been on tours of being inspired by the work that is being done by aid agencies in poor communities.
Will you help with the house to house collection?  We will be organising things so that no collector will have more than twenty houses to collect from (unless they offer to do more).  You don’t need to be a member of any of the churches to be a collector, but need to be sixteen or over to collect.  If you would like to help please give your name, telephone number and area where you would prefer to collect, to Brenda Harpley (01923 269574), George Sharpin (01923 262590) or Janet Cornell (01923 262468).
Log on to www.christianaid.org.uk if you would like to know more about the work of Christian Aid.