Members of Zion, Northallerton United Reformed Church made a big splash last Christmas. Instead of sending Christmas cards to each other, they gave the money they would have spent on cards towards the purchase of a well for a village in Kenya. But so generous were the donations that, instead of simply raising enough money for one well, sufficient funds were raised to provide wells for two villages.
Liz Styan co-ordinator of the church’s eco group said: “The two-fold aims of our ‘Make a Splash’ appeal were to raise money for a well, through Christian Aid, and to reduce the need to cut down trees solely for the purpose of sending multiple Christmas cards.”
When offerings from Christmas services and donations from visitors and friends were added to the tota raised the church easily surpassed the £495 target for the purchase of a well. Soon they had doubled the figure to ensure that two separate Kenyan communities could benefit from the appeal.
A 100ft well makes a huge difference to an entire village in rural Kenya. With no clean water nearby, it falls to the women and girls to walk miles to the nearest river – often repeating the journey several times a day. But with a well in the village, the supply of clean fresh water close by means that women can work and contribute to the family’s income. It also means that girls can go to school regularly and receive an education that will help them to get a job in the future.
Susan Bush, Church Secretary, said: “The ‘Make a Splash’ appeal has been a great success and we are absolutely delighted that we have been able to raise sufficient money to make a real difference to the lives of families in rural Kenya.”
The piture shows shows Redv Michael Webster, Chairman of Northallerton Christian Aid Committee, congratulating church member Sue Kennedy on the success of the "Make a Splash" appeal.