Spring News May 2016
Spring News
Cover Photo is from our article featured on page 8 “High Speed Chaplains”
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From the Top
Down the Line Rufus Barnes Interview High Speed Chaplains Praying for the Best New Chaplain’s Office in Scotland Looking Ahead with Confidence Major Incident Chaplaincy Battle of the Somme Remembered Riding for Rachel How to Support Railway Mission Railway Mission News Spring 2016 Produced by Railway Mission Design by Steve Rowe
Railway Mission Rugby Railway Station Rugby CV21 3LA
office@railwaymission.org
07718 971919 www.railwaymission. org Railway Mission is a registered charity in England and Wales (1128024) and in Scotland (SC045897). A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (06519565). Floral Picture courtesy of HD Pix
from the top Railway Mission Executive Director Liam Johnston
I was interested to see a news item recently that reported the incredible story of The Flying Scotsman having undergone a £4.2 million restoration and how it is now running on the UK’s mainline railway.
The Flying Scotsman has certainly been refurbish to the highest of standards; but my thoughts were drawn to restoration and more importantly the ultimate restoration of mankind.
Originally designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class and built in Doncaster in 1922 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), it is truly an icon of British engineering.
There are many organisation and self-help gurus that try and fix the lives of people damaged through the passing of time, but it is God’s desire that we experience true personal restoration.
However the article made me consider the word ‘restoration’; it’s an interesting word, and, seeing the locomotive bright, clean and full of steam, challenged me to think about the meaning of restoration.
Through Christ and his love and sacrifice there is the action of returning us to a former place, or condition, and, indeed, to our previous Owner, in the sense of our Heavenly Father, but more than this, as we read in the book of Acts 3:21, there will be a time when God will restore all things.
The definition of restoration is ‘the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition’.
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You will hear of wars and rumours of war
Down the Line
Sadly those words of Jesus are still true today, and each year our chaplains lead Remembrance services across the country for railway workers who were casualties of war. The centenary of the ‘First World War’ continues to focus the Nation’s thoughts, with the commemoration at the National Railway Museum beginning in July.
Edinburgh, Allan Stewart, enlisted with the Royal Scots in September 1914 and within a few months he was part of the ill-fated invasion force that landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He survived the landing, but subsequently died of his wounds. In the last letter to his parents, he described a communion service held on the night before the landing. There were just six participants and he describes how “Christ Himself seemed to be there with us, and on our knees we received the tokens of His body and His blood.”
The Railway Mission was caught up in that war and the Railway Signal carried accounts of how the Mission was impacted. Death was no respecter of social class with many railwaymen and two sons of the Mission’s aristocratic president, Lord Kinnaird, killed in action.
“Then the minister prayed, and I am certain he was guided in the words he used. He didn’t follow any Litany, but prayed just as he was led, and I shall never forget his prayer”.
North British Railway clerk and member of the Abbeyhill Branch in
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with Railway Mission Historian Dudley Clarke
But not all deaths were on the battlefield; Britain’s worst rail disaster occurred near Gretna on 22 May 1915. Among the dead were 214 officers and men of the Royal Scots bound for Gallipoli and the driver and fireman of their train. Driver Francis Scott had been ‘one of the earliest members of the Carlisle Branch of the Railway Mission’ and Fireman James Hannah ‘regularly attended the Railway Mission and had professed conversion.’ Branches on the Eastern side of Britain were literally on the ‘Front Line’ with fears of invasion and bombing raids by Zeppelins. In 1916 it was reported that several halls had suffered minor damage during such attacks. One Scottish branch having been warned of an impending raid closed their meeting and a member ‘offered earnest prayer that God might send down the mist as He did in the days of the Covenanters and hide us from our enemies’.
To guard against enemy infiltration a list of regular attendees was kept at the hall door and names were ticked off as people arrived. Following the Armistice in November 1918 the editor of the Railway Signal declared, ‘The happy day has come for which we have prayed and hoped for four long years and more, and our hearts are full of praise to God for bringing the worldwide war to a close’.
The prayer was heard. Records from the Boston branch describe the predicament; from January 1915, with lighting prohibited, evening meetings were suspended until a suitable material to black-out the hall’s windows had been found.
Pictured above: Railway Mission member Private Allan B Stewart, who died at Gallipoli
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Pictured left: Soldiers are entertained to a Christmas Meal at the Watford Branch of the Railway Mission
Interview with Railway Mission Trustee
Rufus Barnes
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e recently had the opportunity to talk to Rufus Barnes, who will shortly be retiring as a Railway Mission Trustee, about his role with the charity, and how he sees the mission going forward.
of policy documents – more than I had ever received in respect of other charities I’d been involved with and my first thoughts were, either this is a very organised charity and/or it is a charity bound up in bureaucracy!
How long have you been a Trustee with Railway Mission and what has been your impression?
After three years I’m not sure that either view was wholly correct – the Railway Mission Board is a charity focussed on managing the challenges of change.
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I first became aware of the Railway Mission through Humphrey Gillott who had previously worked for another Christian charity where I was a trustee. My working life had been spent in the statutory consumer movement representing the interests of transport users in and around London and when I read an article that the Mission was looking for new trustees I felt that I might have something to offer, in an area that I knew something about. I joined the trustee board three years ago. When I joined I was given a range
I have learnt that Railway Mission has a proud history of bringing the Christian message to railway workers. What I had not expected was to discover how important a role Railway Mission Chaplains play in showing the love of Jesus when dealing with the aftermath of incidents. How do you see Railway Mission developing in the future?
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Like many such charities Railway Mission has had to change with the times
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and during my short time on the Board we have seen some huge changes, which bring enormous challenges for the future. The unexpected withdrawal of London City Mission from workbased mission has seen the unplanned expansion of the work of Railway Mission and the employment of additional chaplains. I was privileged to be involved in the recruitment of some excellent people to join the chaplain team. The challenge for the future, not surprisingly, centres on money. As we all know, the Railway Mission’s current main
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Railway Mission is a relationship-based organisation through which we can share Christian love source of income comes from the railway industry, but the industry funding does not cover annual expenditure. We have been running a deficit budget for many years and that is not sustainable for the future. I sense that this will involve Railway Mission moving towards having Service Level Agreements with the railway industry through which the industry can see what its money is ‘buying’ from us. If that sounds too like a business for a Christian charity, I suggest that we must remember that this is the world we live in and there are lots of organisations competing for scarce resources, not least, in our context, the Samaritans. What do you see as the core values of Railway Mission?
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Railway Mission is a relationship-based organisation through which we can share
Christian love, help those in need and, hopefully, bring some people in the railway industry to have a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Testimonies that I have read show that our Chaplains meet all three of these challenging roles What do you see as the primary role of a Railway Mission Trustee?
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Trustees have a number of responsibilities – to set the goals and high-level strategies and monitor their delivery; to set the budget and monitor income and expenditure as the year progresses; and provide guidance to the Executive Director in his role leading the dayto-day work of Railway Mission. I hope that I have contributed to the decision-making process, particularly in respect of Railway Mission’s finances where I suspect colleagues have felt I have sometimes asked the awkward questions and
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maybe challenged deeplyheld views! What is the value of chaplaincy to the rail industry?
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I have valued meeting Chaplains, particularly at the annual conferences – it is important for Trustees to hear about experiences and challenges ‘at the coal face’. I have been impressed by the dedication of the team and I pray that, with God’s guidance, they will continue to be a light to the railway industry for generations to come. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
Railway Mission heartily thanks Rufus for his valued contributions to our work, and we express our best hopes for him as he undertakes future ventures.
High Speed Chaplains
Chaplain John Robinson talks to Liam Johnston about the ride of a lifetime he had recently when out on call with the Emergency Response Unit in Croydon
Railway Mission Chaplains ride with British Transport Police British Transport Police (BTP) officers based at Croydon recently invited chaplains to join them on a series of shifts on the railway. Railway Mission chaplains, who have offered pastoral care to those in need across the rail network for over a century, had a valuable insight into what happens when BTP officers are called out to an emergency incident.
been so fruitful and that he could further understand the occupational requirements involved for officers and industry colleagues when riding on the EIU vehicles.
BTP officers ride alongside Network Rail Mobile Operations Managers (MOMs) in the Emergency Intervention Unit (EIU) when responding to incidents such as trespass on the tracks or reports of a disturbance on board a train.
“Getting to know exactly what challenges BTP officers and their counterparts from Network Rail riding in the EIU vehicles face was invaluable,” added John, “the opportunity to build trust and relationships with officers, railway and industry staff means we can be one step ahead in terms of how we provide pastoral care. It was great to get to know
Railway Chaplain John Robinson (pictured above, centre) is delighted that the trial has
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Chaplain John Robinson (second from right) with EIU team
the opportunity to build trust and relationships with officers, railway and industry staff means we can be one step ahead in terms of how we provide pastoral care
different members of the EIU team and I hope they benefited from us being on board also.”
incidents,” he said. “Recently one of our officers was assaulted but fortunately John was able to visit the hospital where he had been sent to and offer welfare support.”
Sergeant Mo Mahmood, who manages the Croydon EIU team, was full of praise for The Railway Mission and their work. “John and his team have been a real asset to our officers and rail staff and always offer valuable support during and after what can sometimes be quite traumatic
With 134 years of history and experience, Railway Mission hopes this partnership work will continue to broaden the scope of care that they can provide to BTP officers and industry colleagues.
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Preparing for the worst Praying for the best
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n hour after the devastating terrorist attack at Brussels Airport,through the dust and darkness of a smoke filled tunnel, bloodied and shocked, walked the survivors of the Metro bomb.
Victims of this horror were from a variety of faiths and nationalities. The attack, for a time, brought rail services 220 miles away to a halt as Eurostar suspended its services, further highlighting the international impact of such indiscriminate and evil actions.
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Although targeted for the maximum amount of casualties and disruption, the targets were precise and specifically aimed at the soft targets of the transport network.
professional chaplaincy team, Railway Mission has been there to support the emergency services and recovery teams at all major incidents, including the aftermath of the 7/7 attack.
Offering pastoral support to the staff and passengers of Eurostar is the Railway Mission’s Chaplain Steve Rowe (pictured left with BTP officer at St Pancras International Station). Although not the target of this attack, the effect on staff and passengers traveling into and out of Brussels can be detected.
Railway Mission Chaplains are the Church’s expression of Christian love and support to the British Transport Police and the railway industry in such terrible times. However, every day there are tragedies, marriages fail, people loose loved ones or are diagnosed with serious illnesses, yet there is a constant hope offered in love to those in need.
It was recently said that the UK has been lucky not to have experienced another such attack since July 7th 2005, when a group of fanatical terrorists struck in the heart of London.
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As chaplains, we walk between the shadow and light, bringing hope and comfort to those in need, leading one person at a time from the shadow of destruction into the light of salvation.
However, our ‘luck’ is driven by two important elements; one, a dedicated and professional intelligence and security service, and the second, the prayers of the saints. It is by both expecting and preparing for such atrocities that we are helped to stay safe.
Executive Director Liam Johnston
Working with British Transport Police and the Railway Industry in the UK is the Railway Mission. With a dedicated and trained
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Railway Mission opens new Paisley Gilmour Street office
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ffering friendship and a listening ear to anyone connected with the railways can sometimes be a challenge, but having and office that is accessible is a tremendous help. It’s been many years since Railway Mission last had the use of a dedicated chaplain’s office but thanks to ScotRail there is a new chaplain’s office in Paisley.
The renovated office is between platforms 2 and 3 at Paisley Gilmour Street. Ruth McBean, Chaplain for the West of Scotland, said, “It’s wonderful to have a permanent base as I usually work from home and consider Starbucks as my office. The office at Paisley Gilmour Street, which is Scotland’s fourth busiest station, is accessible and it’s a welcoming
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It’s really nice for us to be able to give something back to the Railway Mission for all the support over the years Heather Collins, ScotRail’s Station Manager for Ayr, Inverclyde and Dumfries
The Railway Chaplains for Scotland are:
place where people can come and feel comfortable and relaxed.” Heather Collins, ScotRail’s Station Manager for Ayr, Inverclyde and Dumfries, added: “It’s really nice for us to be able to give something back to the Railway Mission for all the support over the years.
Ruth McBean (West of Scotland)
07718971913
ruth.mcbean@ railwaymission.org
“The office was vacant and we are more than happy that it will be used to complement what the company already offers and will help us support our staff when a tragic incident occurs.”
Nicola Concalves (East & Central Scotland)
07718971914 nicola.goncalves@ railwaymission.org
Ruth concluded: “I’m grateful for the support of ScotRail for allowing us to use these facilities and others such as Paisley Library who donated the office furniture.”
Dereck Grant (North of Scotland)
07841985768
The office will soon have a telephone and computer facilities.
dereck.grant@ railwaymission.org 13
Looking Ahead with Confidence Railway Mission Conference Report
F
or the first time on our history, following the handover by London City Mission in the south of England, Railway Mission can declare that it covers all railway networks in England, Scotland and Wales with pastoral care and chaplaincy. This was evident in the large contingent of chaplains, staff and Trustees to gather at Network Rail’s Westwood facilities for Railway Mission’s Annual Conference in March. The two day event gave us plenty of time to make new acquaintances and refresh relationships with chaplains, administration staff, and Trustees in our growing team. Railway Mission now has two regions - north
and south - and the Conference is one of the few opportunities for catching up with colleagues from both areas. Chaplain Paul Holloway got us off to a perfect start with a feature on the importance of the cross of Christ in drawing us into a relationship with God, which was a highly relevant topic being so close to Easter. Chaplain Joshua Shinhmar was tasked with being Master of Ceremonies for the event, which he did with aplomb and enthusiasm, and thus we were well segued into an excellent session with Carol ChalmersHunt, Customer Relations Officer with Validium, who spoke to us about being effective and proactive
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Carol Chalmers-Hunt
employee assistance and well-being providers. Working alongside agencies such as Validium, it is important for us to gain insights into their work and how we can compliment their service provision. Barry Boffy, Diversity and Inclusion Manager with British Transport Police [BTP], took the next session which was an enlightening glimpse into
the journey into inclusion and equality by BTP and his role in facilitating the process. More BTP involvement followed, with Temporary Inspector Eddie Carlin, joining Hayley Bull, NWR Community Safety Officer, to take us through their insights into suicide prevention and mental health issues that effect the rail industry, and how they are learning to put into place processes which provide awareness and early detection in a very difficult area. Chaplain Richard Cook gave an illuminating and emotive session on following up referrals from BTP for bereaved families following railway suicides. International Railway Mission [IRM] President Ueli Berger finished day one with a report on the progress of IRM as it branches out into other nations, and on the upcoming IRM Conference in Goslar in Germany in July 2016. Day one almost complete, but amongst the great features of Westwood are the excellent facilities including mealtimes and down-time, which are designed for participants to network in a relaxed atmosphere, and we took full advantage of this opportunity.
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ay two was set up by voluntary Chaplain Amanda Cullum who took us through a reflective liturgical devotion, followed by Chaplain Andrew Hall, who enlightened us on our favourite pastime filling out forms - as he took us through the latest methods of electronically providing vital information on our work that can be used to remind the railway industry how effective chaplains are in the workplace. Andrew also gave us sound advice on staying safe in the railway environment. Chaplain Steve Rowe spoke about the Engage2020 initiative whereby chaplains are encouraged to make as much face-to-face contact with rail staff as possible, quoting from Acts 20:20, which speaks of personal interaction with people. He also discussed our role in evangelism and discipleship in the industry. The morning session was completed by Jeff Steady, Chair of Transform Work UK, who talked about forming Christian groups in the marketplace, and the impact a positive, praying group makes in an organisation. After an excellent lunch, followed by a time of prayer and contemplation
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led by Scottish Chaplains Nicola Goncalves, Derreck Grant and Ruth McBean, Chaplain John Robinson talked about the best strategies to use when networking, and how to cover a large chaplaincy area as effectively as possible. Trustees’ Chair Keith Rose took us through the upcoming pensions scheme, adding a Q&A session, whilst, in closing, Executive Director Liam Johnston encouraged us in our chaplaincy work, reminding us of how
2008 RM Conference
far we have come as an organisation, the value of our recent re-branding, and showed us a picture (above) of the 2008 Conference, comparing it to the increase in employees and volunteers we currently enjoy (facing page, top). Clearly, following a productive past, there is more history to be made by Railway Mission going forward.
Major Incident Chaplaincy Exercise Unified Response Report
Participation in a simulated Major Incident gives valuable information. Here Chaplain Steve Rowe gives his views on the recent event
An invitation to engage in the Exercise Unified Response [EUR] was an unmissable opportunity to gain knowledge of how we might respond during a Major Incident should we be called upon at any time. EUR was a simulated incident (pictured right) and response hosted by the London Fire Brigade on behalf of the London Resilience Partnership, staged near Dartford in Kent. The scenario was a building collapse onto an imaginary London Waterloo tube station, with multiple casualties in very dangerous and difficult conditions for rescue and retrieval. A range of challenges were put up and multiple agencies were involved, including from overseas, which made this a unique international event from which much information could be gleaned. From a chaplaincy standpoint it was invaluable, and gave a
real indication of some of the tasks we might be engaged in on-site. Some of my personal observations include the importance of our Hi-Vis Chaplain’s jacket, which made me instantly recognisable. This meant a lot to the BTP officers on site, and was also important to other agencies, including Home Office police and Fire Brigade teams. More than one officer made it clear that the presence of a chaplain on site gave great comfort to officers, knowing there was someone they could trust to talk to should they need to.
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One officer said that it actually energised them to continue even during arduous and often confronting shifts just to see the word ‘Chaplain’ on the vest. Being clearly identified is crucial to our support availability. I was in demand from various agencies, including a local Councillor from Barking, who was coordinating the Survivors’ Area, and immediately put to work talking to people who had been rescued from the wreckage and were physically uninjured but emotionally and psychologically in need of assistance. Volunteer actors were used to authenticate the
already trained volunteer and professional staff through other grass roots activities. The queue during meal times was also an excellent opportunity to speak to rescue teams and see how they were holding up.
exercise, who had been given specific issues they related to those who were lending a listening ear to assess what kind of followup and care provision was required. Once on site I was deployed in a number of ways, mostly in a pastoral context, and, as the sole chaplain during the time I was present, it was easy to see how fatigue could set in during a real scenario if there is no direction given to chaplains on duty, which is why a co-ordinated approach is essential, and chaplains utilised in shifts rather than an all-hands-on-deck approach.
Silver Meeting (above), which is where leaders in the various agencies give progress reports and set actions.
Food and refreshments were provided on-site, and what a great job the Salvation Army did, too, showing the effective work Christian agencies undertake in such scenarios, having
Some of the actors in the field had been heavily made up to reveal horrific injuries that NHS teams were working with (centre left, and below), and the morgue was a stark reminder of the seriousness of such incidents when large numbers of people are involved. There is much more I could add in reflection on this valuable experience where essential information was gathered, save to say that chaplaincy has a vital place in Major Incident response, so we need to be prepared at all times for any eventuality, and will continue to train for Major Incidents.
Chaplains from other agencies would be also be present, but the command is led by BTP. The Incident Commander, who I met in the BTP command post trailer, was very pleased to see a BTP Chaplain on site, and invited me into the
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Photos by Steve Rowe
Battle of the Somme Remembered
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t has long been recognised that without the skill and bravery of the railway engineers WW1 may have ended differently. Richard Cook (pictured right), chaplain for the Northwest, has been asked to lead a number of services to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
The first of these will be a short service on the 1st of July at Manchester Oxford 7am, to mark the exact moment 100 years ago that the troops ‘went over the top’ into a hail of machine-gun fire. The service will be followed later that day at 14.30 at Accrington station by a remembrance for the Accrington Pals, as
well as commemorations on 2nd July at Manchester Victoria at 10.50am and the 23rd July at Preston at 10.50am marking the participation of the Preston Pals on the Somme. The Battle of the Somme photo public domain from Imperial War Museum collection
Riding for Rachel
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en years ago Rachel, Ann and Richard Cook’s daughter, lost her battle with cancer. Richard has decided that in memory of Rachel he will mark this sad anniversary with a sponsored bike ride. Richard (pictured right) says “When I was privileged to join Railway Mission as a Chaplain, my stepdaughter Rachel was as enthusiastic as anyone could be, sadly one year later, aged just 33, she
was called home through Cancer of the Spine. As ill as she was, Rachel was always thrilled to see and hear about the Lords work done through Railway Mission, and so in her memory I will cycle 116 mile to raise funds for the Railway Mission. The strap line of Railway Mission is 'support on life’s journey' and through the work of the chaplains, lives are touched and transformed in an extraordinary way.”
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Sponsor Richard at: www.everyclick.com/ thepuffingpastor “Please, if you can sponsor me, do, and let’s make this ride, for a special group of men and women doing a special job, in memory of a special, special woman, who, touched so many lives in her short life span, a great success”.
Your donation takes us further… How your gift could help £10 could fund a chaplain’s 20-minute support meeting with a distressed member of rail staff, a BTP officer or a member of the travelling public.
£100 could fund a series of chaplain’s visits to a sick or injured rail worker, or to the grieving family of someone who has died on the railways.
£50 could buy a chaplain some of the essential safety clothing needed to support people involved in the scene of a rail incident or emergency.
£1,000 could provide an area’s rail staff, BTP officers and members of the travelling public with support for a fortnight.
Ways to give Cheque or Postal Order You can make a one-off or regular cheque or Postal Order donation by simply sending your gft to : Railway Mission, Rugby Railway Station, Rugby, CV21 3LA. Standing Order You can make a regular donation through your bank. Email our Administrator for more information: office@railwaymission.org. Web Go to our website at www.railwaymission.org and click onto the Donate page, where you can give via the Every Click website. Payroll Giving A tax-efficient way to give regularly through monthly payments from your salary. See more on our website at www.railwaymission.org. Wills If you’d like to include us in your Will, our charity name is Railway Mission, and our charity number in England and Wales is: 1128024. Our charity number in Scotland is SC045897. Gift Aid If you’re a UK taxpayer, we can claim an extra 25% of your donation from the Inland Revenue, as long as you meet their conditions and complete, sign and return a Gift Aid form to us.
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“They helped me through the hard times” Support on life’s journey