Activities | Projects | Supporting others
Supporting others
St John's supports a number of other projects both financially and in many different practical ways. Some of these are close to home such as the Swindon Food Bank and the Willows Counselling Service, others overseas.
Uganda
Eight years ago St. John's received a visit from Bishop Evans Kisekka, the Bishop of Luweero in Uganda. It was the start of an extraordinary and enduring partnership between St. John's Haydon Wick, and the people of Luweero.
Our greatest contribution has been to help the people of Bwaziba in the building of a primary school. Church members and parents in Bwaziba had the vision of building a school for local children where none existed. We got involved, with other churches in the Southwest, in the construction of a school building.
Six years later, the school is not only built, but constantly expanding. We added a new classroom in 2007. Even more wonderfully, the government of Uganda, impressed by the way in which things have developed, have actually undertaken to pay for teaching staff, and have trained and employed a headteacher, capable of dealing with the increasing numbers of children.
We have also been able to provide equipment for a premature baby unit in the hospital at Kiwoko, and we support children and adults at a school for the Blind.
One of the senior church leaders of Uganda spent three years training in Gloucester, and we were able to pay a substantial part of his education fees.
On 22 February 2009, Raymond returned from a visit to Uganda. Here are just some of the highlights.
Peter and Sally Bartlett
We have, for some time, supported the work of the South American Mission Society. However, South America is a big place, and unlike Uganda, we have never had much in the way of a personal link. We kept on giving regularly, and praying when we remembered, but it all seemed a bit remote and far away.
When we discovered that Peter Bartlett was on his way to become Bishop of Paraguay, and that he and Sally available to speak in St John's, it seemed an opportunity too good to miss.
We learned a lot about the country and its people on the weekend in which the Bartlett's were with us. And more importantly, we established that essential personal link.
We have recently appointed a missionary team, who will keep the congregation in regular touch with Peter and Sally are doing, and what God is doing through them.
You can find out more about that by reading their prayer letters:
Swindon Food Bank
The Swindon Food Bank is designed to help people in crisis, through the provision of emergency food. Local care workers in the Swindon area refer them, with a food voucher, to The Food Bank where they are given their food, a cup of coffee and help in finding other professionals who can help them. In Rural Areas emergency food can be delivered. Other agencies that help the homeless can receive food in bulk from the Food Bank.
Visit the Swindon food Bank
website 
Willows Counselling Service
Willows is a North Swindon based counselling service which is open to all adults. It is a charitable trust set up to provide a caring response to people facing life issues, and to assist the churches, groups, organisations and agencies. Willows purpose is to provide a confidential counselling facility accessible to all adults who live in Swindon and the surrounding area.
Willows is rooted in the Christian faith and would hold a world view that includes an understanding of ourselves as created beings (in God's image). A counsellor, who is Christian, would hold a world view that includes an understanding of ourselves as created beings (in God's image) although we would not expect clients necessarily to hold the same view.
Willows also offer a debt advice service, again available to all who live in Swindon and the surrounding area.
Visit the Willows Counselling
Service website
Activities | Projects | Supporting others
Page last updated: 16 July 2010