Fundraisers 2023
Thanks to all who joined us for this year's Charity Breakfast held on11 November 2023.
Many tucked into a Full English - whilst others enjoyed bacon or sausage cobs - all washed down with steaming mugs of hot tea and coffee!
Five pianists and an accordion player also came along to entertain during the morning - and diners were treated to music ranging from classical pieces and songs from the Shows to sing-along wartime favourites - with everything else in between!
The event raised £782 for our funds - and not only was it great to enjoy the food - it was good to meet and socialise with friends old and new.
As always - many thanks to our faithful band of helpers who shopped, prepared, cooked, served and washed and cleared up - and thanks again to everyone who supported this event.
We hope to repeat the experience in 2024!
Church-supported Projects
Although not a church-based charity, we are delighted to report on recent support from our friends across the denominations who have raised funds in recent months to assist our work..
Firstly, the Roman Catholic Church of All Saints at Hassop supported us with their Lent Appeal. This came about because one of their members heard Heather give a talk to the WI in Monyash – and suggested the Goboka Rwanda Trust as something the Church might support.
Our grateful thanks to her, to all the Church Members who were so supportive and to Father Hugh Davoren for his warm welcome on the occasion when Heather attended Mass and collected the cheque.
Similarly, a lady who attended a Probus Group in Sheffield at which Heather spoke, nominated the Trust for the Lent Appeal of St John the Evangelist Church of Abbeydale and Holy Trinity Church, Millhouses in Sheffield.
After visiting and speaking on a couple of occasions, Heather went along on the morning of Sunday 24 June to receive the largest single donation ever given to the Trust.
These are two Churches which are now coming together to worship and work – and their donation is to be given to help complete the building work at Gitsimbwe Reconciliation Centre in Rwanda, a place heavily hit during the Genocide and where the community are still striving to work together in peace and harmony. This Centre will be used for teaching agriculture, health and education – but also as a Community Centre where the people from this village may meet socially. We felt there were parallel links with St John’s and Holy Trinity Churches – who are delighted to hear of the plans for their donation.
A trainee Methodist Minister from Oxford, called James Garnett, visited Rwanda in 2017 together with two colleagues – all studying at The Queen’s Foundation Theological College in Birmingham. He visit had quite an impact on James, who got in touch with the Trust to ask about future partnership working.
Heather went to Oxford to meet the congregation of Rose Hill Church, Iffley, where James has been seconded for the past 12 months, and following a talk and fundraising meal, the Trust benefited from another sum of money which will go a long way to help the work in Rwanda.