Impact

Impact Offering is always a highlight in the church calendar. This year (2020/2021) the total amount pledged is £396,073. To date, the amount received is £173,550. Below is a snapshot of some of the projects we have been able to support so far:

In 2020, through the generosity of the church, we were able to set up a COVID-19 Relief Fund to help those in immediate need as a result of the pandemic. Where the need exceeds the Relief Fund, funds from the Impact Offering are used. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we have spent £42,900, and as a church, have supported people in many ways – this includes the provision of food, financial grants, running errands and pastoral support. Read below to see some of the ways we have supported people so far:

Emergency Grants

We have been able to assist members of Equippers who have experienced hardship by giving out over £20,000 worth in emergency grants, meeting their needs at a critical time. 

Food Provision

We have provided food to people in the local community by gifting food parcels, supermarket vouchers and running a food bank. Since March 2020, we have given over 1500 food parcels to families and we help 20 families on an on-going basis through the food bank. Furthermore, we have distributed 323 Tesco vouchers in denominations of either £25 or £50. We have also donated £1,000 to the Runnymede Food Bank.

A Headteacher from a school we partnered with to provide food parcels said, “Our parents have been overwhelmed with the parcels. One mum was so happy as it is also their child’s birthday today. We are ever so grateful!”

Hampers

In December, we created and donated 215 Christmas Hampers to families and young people at Three Rivers Academy, Jubilee High School, Chertsey High School, The Richmond upon Thames School and Royal Holloway University. 

A very grateful student from Royal Holloway sent us this message – “I’m a student midwife and I have just received one of your hampers. I am having to self-isolate due to coming into contact with someone with COVID-19 at the hospital, so this has really made my week and Christmas! It’s so kind of you and I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.”

Over the Easter Weekend, we distributed 250 Easter Hampers to students at Royal Holloway, staff at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey through East to West, and people we are connected with from the local community.

Pastoral Support

As well as continuing to provide pastoral support to our community, through ‘Coffee and Catch Up’, running errands or the Young Adult’s ‘Drop In’, we have committed to supporting our NHS Key Workers. 

Approximately 70 NHS Key Workers are part of Equippers and we honour each one of them for their service over the past year. We arranged a prayer team who were committed to praying for them each day, individually by name. We regularly sent them short videos from our pastors – inspiring them from the Scriptures, encouraging and praying for them. After lockdown 1.0, we honoured each NHS Key Worker with a £50 dining voucher to treat themselves to a special evening-out.  Many of the NHS workers sent back messages of real appreciation. One person said, “Knowing that there was a prayer team assigned to pray for me daily during this difficult time would be like a guardian angel watching over me.”

£5,000

East to West is a local Christian charity based in Egham that has a vision to bring hope to young lives across Surrey and Berkshire. They support 875 local children, young people and their families who struggle with issues such as self-harming, bullying, broken family relationships, abuse and even homelessness. Most of their work takes place in local schools where their Relational Support Workers provide emotional, relational and practical support. East to West also supports St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey through a project called Emerge by being available to any young person admitted as a result of self-harm or attempted suicide.

We have given East to West £5,000 which has helped them offer more support to young people struggling with lockdown, and enabled them to increase their Relational Support Work in schools and St Peter’s Hospital. 

Eleanor – Equippers Richmond

Several weeks ago, I was thinking about what I would like to give into the Impact Offering. I had to be mindful of what to give, because I  was “at risk,” meaning that I could be jobless at the end of the year and I am also raising two kids by myself.

At the time, I remembered that I had money put aside in an investment account, because I was due to purchase some shares. I realised that, actually, the money could be better spent by the church! I therefore decided to take everything I had in my investment account and give it into the Impact Offering. Since then, I have received blessing after blessing! The day after donating, I received a cheque, saying I had paid too much of my service charges invoice, so I got £900 back for it. The week after that, I won £25 on my Premium Bonds, and in the same week, I was informed by my boss that I was no longer at risk and that my job was safe and secure. Then, just a few weeks ago, I had my review with my boss and I was told that because I have done such great work, they have decided to award me some shares through work. I feel so happy and blessed. It’s like, what I’ve given, part of that comes back to me. God is good and He has given me so much! 

£1,956 

St Marcellin Children’s Village in Harare, Zimbabwe is a registered private voluntary organisation (PVO) that provides a loving and family-centred environment for orphans and vulnerable children. There are currently 77 children ranging from infants to 18-year-olds who have either been orphaned, abandoned or taken into the care of social welfare for their own safety. St Marcellin Children’s Village provides education, nutrition and the necessary healthcare required for their individual circumstances.

In supporting St Marcellin Children’s Village, we have been able to cover the cost of school fees for 21 children for their first school term of 2021. The photos below show some of the children that we have sponsored. 

The Village sends their thanks for our kindness and generosity in this time of need, especially since some of their donors have been unable to offer support due to the impact of the pandemic.

£750

Glass Door Homeless Charity coordinates the UK’s largest open-access network of emergency winter shelters and support services for people affected by homelessness. By partnering with churches and community centres to provide shelter and support, Glass Door is committed to supporting people to get—and stay—off the street.

In supporting Glass Door Homeless Charity, we have been able to provide 25 people experiencing homelessness with their own individual room for the night, plus three meals for the day in Glass Door hostels.

£10,000 

Recently, we shared with you that Pastor Stephen Nortey and the team at Equippers Ghana are in the process of constructing a new church building. This is an exciting milestone and opportunity to welcome more people from the community into the church.

Our financial support has helped cover their venue costs for their current building, living and pastoral expenses as well as the purchase of new equipment. Over the Easter weekend, Equippers Ghana saw 87 people come to church, with 15 new visitors, 13 baptisms and 9 salvation responses. Pastor Stephen says, “We are experiencing great momentum in our church plant currently and we are looking forward to the official launch and dedication of the church building later this year.”

The photos below show the current building progress (left) and an architectural image of what the building will look like (right).

If you haven’t pledged yet, you still can!

Click the button below and complete your pledge online.

How To Give:

Once you have pledged you will receive details on how to give based on your location and your preference as indicated on your pledge.