Supporting children through the Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2026

Supporting children through the Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2026

This year the Diocese of Southwark, of which we are part, is raising money to support projects that focus on the work of schools that will help benefit children and young people to flourish in our link dioceses of Jerusalem and Zimbabwe, and here in our diocese.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

The Holy Land Institute for the Deaf is located in the city of Salt, in southern Jordan, and supports children who are hard of hearing, deaf or deafblind, local children and from refugee camps. It serves approximately 150 male and female students from the ages of 2 to 20 years. Students are taught Jordanian Sign Language and all curriculum subjects taught in other schools. They also offer vocational training, which helps students to gain skills in sewing, ceramics, carpentry, hospitality, and other skills that will help them to gain employment.

The Diocese of Matabeleland is building a new school, St Cecilia’s, at Lupane. The children in that area have to walk around 20 kilometres to get to school at present, which makes it stressful and challenging to get to school. The new school will mean that the children do not have to travel so far, reducing any impact on their learning, as they will be less tired when they arrive.

The Diocese of Masvingo is asking for help to fund a Supplementary Feeding Programme in the six schools in the Buhera area, three schools in the Chikomba District and also four schools in the Shurugwi District where children need extra food. Schools in the surrounding areas have limited access to water, and the diocese would also value help with this.

Finally, here in the Diocese of Southwark, our Diocesan Board of Education is developing a programme called Love Your Neighbour, which is designed to be used throughout our diocesan schools. Over five weeks, the programme will give students in our schools the opportunity to think about what it means to be a neighbour in the classroom, school, community, church and wider world.

More information about each of these great projects can be found here:

Lent Call projects – The Diocese of Southwark

Donate electronically via Give A Little

https://givealittle.co/c/1sNjqRbF8q1TR6P7AqFx2W

or in the donation box at the back of each church. Thanks for your generosity.