Church Missionary Society (CMS)

Although this mission is over 200 years old, it has moved from being a pioneering group spreading the gospel to sending professional people to work with churches throughout the world. Two of our Parish link's closest friends work for CMS. Sheelagh Wynne returned to Nepal, in August 2002, as Nursing Consultant for the United Mission to Nepal, which is supported by CMS. During the Gulf War, she was matron at the Nazareth Hospital.
Rev. Meg Guilleband was invited to Rwanda to help train clergy after the appalling civil war. Many of the clergy were killed and the congregation dispersed.
Both of these friends work in dangerous areas of the world and are in need of our prayers as well as our financial support. For further information visit http://www.cms-uk.org/

Church Army
The Church Army trains and sends evangelists to work in five areas of focus:

  Area evangelism;   
  Children and young people;
   Church planting;
   Homeless people;
  Older people.
 St Nicolas Church supports this work by sponsoring a student through his/her training.
 Further information is available from http://www.churcharmy.org.uk  Tel. (UK) 020 8309 9991
 
Children's' Society 

The Church of England's own society for the care of children. We support this Society by our giving and through home box collections. Specific care programmes for children are:

    To help and lobby on behalf of the 100,000 children who run
          away from home each year;
    Some 51,000 children in Britain are estimated to be looking
         after a sick or disabled relative. The Society is working to raise
         awareness of the needs of young helpers;
    The Society provides advocacy services for children in residential and foster care;
    The Society runs a "Faltering Growth" programme working with families to make sure that
        children under eight are given the best possible start in the critical years.
        Work also continues to promote the development of disadvantaged pre-school children;
    Britain locks up more children than almost any other country in Europe yet far from deterring crime,
        prison brutalises and corrupts young people; four out of five re-offend. This year The Children's
        Society has been instrumental in contributing to child protection procedures being implemented
        in prisons;
    The Society continues to campaign for inclusive education by working to prevent children
        being excluded from school.
For further information visit www.the-childrens-society.org.uk

Friends of Guildford Cathedral

Guildford Cathedral was the first Anglican Cathedral to be built in the south of England since the Reformation. It had a difficult start, being built in the troubled 1930's, 1940's and 1950's and was not as well endowed as most other Cathedrals.  

The Friends of Guildford Cathedral aim to bring together all those who love the Cathedral and wish to support its work. They raise funds for the enhancement of the Cathedral its contents and its environment, support its music and undertake social events for members. 

Following the 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2003, the Cathedral, supported by The Friends, has launched a campaign to raise money to improve the Music of the Cathedral.  Full details are on the Cathedral web site at www.guildford-cathedral.org

St Nicolas contributes to the Friends with a proportion of our Outward Giving. 
 
Leatherhead Night Hostel

The night hostel in Leatherhead was set up by the churches in the district, with the co-operation of MVDC, to provide an open access hostel for homeless people requiring short term accommodation in the area. They can accommodate eight men and four women, with no stay normally exceeding two weeks. During their stay the wardens will provide counseling and practical assistance to enable the visitors to take advantage of facilities which those of us with permanent homes take for granted. They house people with a wide range of problems and cover a broad age band. Drunkenness is not tolerated.
In addition to the regular annual giving we usually donate to the hostel most of the non-perishable groceries given at Harvest Festival.
We have been serving suppers on the 3rd Sunday of each month for a number of years. Bookham Baptist Church and the Church of the Holy Spirit also provide meals. There is a continuing need at the Hostel for warm clothing and similar items.

Mission to Seaman

This is an international missionary society of the Anglican Church which cares for the practical and spiritual welfare of seafarers of all nationalities and faiths. It does this through a network of chaplains, staff and volunteer in ports around the world who:
   visit seafarers on their ships to offer friendship and whatever help is needed;
    run centres, often in partnership with other Christian denominations, where
         seafarers can relax away from their place of work and contact their families
         by telephone or email;
    help and counsel seafarers in need, in times of crisis or bereavement, or
                                         in case of injustice;
                                    share their faith with all seafarers, and offer particular support to Christian
                                         seafarers who have to live out their faith in isolation.
In addition to the sum we give each year, a street collection is usually organized.
For further information visit http://www.missiontoseafarers.org

The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK)

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is one of the major publishing organisations of the Christian Church. It was founded in 1698. Today it uses its funds to make Christian books available in all parts of the world. Literature programmes are supported in over 100 countries. There is an immense need for Christian books in the developing world and in Eastern Europe.  For further information visit http://www.spck.org.uk/

The United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG)


We directly support
    Project 404, which provides education in hostels and schools in Madagascar, and
    Project 308 in Chile, which teaches local village folk to build their own homes.
We also give to the general purposes fund of USPG.  They work on life-giving and life-changing programmes in schools, colleges, hospitals and development in 24 of the world's poorest countries promoting inter-cultural and inter-faith understanding. USPG is very good at keeping us informed about their activities. For further information visit http://www.uspg.org.uk

Christian Aid

This is a Charity to which we do not make a regular donation but one in which many members of the congregation play an active part. Money is raised by the joint efforts of the local churches, Bookham Baptist Church, St Lawrence, St Nicolas and United Reform, who undertake a house-to-house collection in May. This is supplemented by sales of plants and books.  For further information visit http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/

Note:
We also maintain links with Corrymeela Link and Neighbours in Need – Bishop of Guildford’s Foundation.

Corrymeela Link

Corrymeela on the North Irish coast is an interfaith endeavour to promote understanding in a land where conversation often seems to start by establishing differences. Adults and children are brought together in peaceful surroundings to talk and worship together and to go back to divided communities bringing with them a small part of the understanding and goodwill that is vital to a peaceful solution of this most intractable of problems. 'Through Christ, all things are possible.'
A new house at the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Ballycastle has now been completed. This new Corrymeela House is being seen as a symbol of hope for, and commitment to, a peaceful future in Northern Ireland. For further information visit http://www.corrymeela.org

Neighbours in Need - Bishop of Guildford's Foundation       

The Foundation has the simple aim to enable the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Guildford to undertake a range of caring works outside the normal range of activities of the Anglican Church. Key areas of support are as follows:

     the homeless, eg Pit Stop, Leatherhead Night Hostel, Vaughan House,
        York Road Project, Number Five, Emmaus Projects and First Base for the Homeless;
                         the disabled, eg  Disability Challengers in Guildford;
                         the isolated, eg dealing at a local level with isolation through disability, substance abuse,
                              unemployment, age, homelessness and family breakdown;
                         children and young people, eg The Redlands School, Polka Dot Playscheme, Fields
                              Playscheme,  Surrey Youth Initiative and Reading Recovery;
                         the community, eg. The Alzheimer's Society, Surrey Family Mediation Service,
                             Connect Christian Counseling and local family centres.