(May 1988) The Church Urban Fund 1988

Do you remember the furore when the Archbishop’s Commission produced ‘Faith in the City’? You would have thought that the end of the world was in sight. Much adverse comment came from many sources, and yet some remedial work has already been put in hand by those who were the most vociferous.

But now there has been launched, on 20th April, the fund named above: it aims to raise £18,000,000 over the next two years to support church-based work in the urban areas of deprivation about which most of us must surely have heard something.

That target has been divided among the dioceses, or areas, of England, and our own diocese – one of the richest in the country – has been given the target of £1½ million!! (not just Sibford!)

I have done a bit of breaking down of the figures, and Sibford’s own target is about £1000 over two years – which is £10 a week for that period, that’s all! Colin Frith has agreed to be the man in charge of our efforts here, and he’s a mine of information as to how that money can be raised. So please have a word with him.

Timothy Wimbush