Tearfund in Harrogate

Like many towns and villages, Harrogate has a number of supporters of The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund, usually abbreviated to its well known form as Tearfund. This page includes local events and national press releases with weblinks.

Ethiopia : Lent : Zimbabwe : Fair Trade : Phil Willis visits Wesley Owen : Climate change : Contacts

Saturday 20 September: Peter Grant
9:30am for 10-4 at Church on the Way, Bradford (Map/ BD10 8SA). Also with speaker training with Roy Poyntz and more. Poster available (pdf, 31kb)

Summer 2008: Ethiopia Food Shortages
The TEARFUND PRESS RELEASE: 8 August 2008
Give generously to help Ethiopia food shortages, urges local aid agency
The people of Harrogate , Knaresborough, Wetherby and Ripon are being urged to give generously to help some 17 million people in urgent need of food in Ethiopia , Northern Kenya and Somalia .
Says Gill Thurgood, Tearfund's Tearfund's Regional Manager, “With food and fuel prices increasing almost daily here in the UK , it's easy to lose sight of how families in some of the world's poorest countries are coping.
“But we must not, as the global food crisis is hitting them the hardest. Even a small contribution can make a life saving difference.” Just £19 could provide a month's supply of food supplements for three malnourished children.
Ababach Umuro, a mother of six-month-old twins from Angatcha District , Ethiopia , is typical of many who are already suffering. The drought destroyed her crops and now there's little to eat. She's driven to live on coffee leaves which are boiled with salt and ginger. Her children are desperately thin and Ababach has no milk to breastfeed them.
Ababach said, `The drought has made life very, very difficult. We have nothing to feed ourselves. Everything appears dark at this moment.'
Soaring food prices and successive droughts in East Africa have exacerbated a situation that was already dire, pushing families already struggling to afford basic foods, deeper into poverty.
To make matters worse, in many areas there is a shortage of seeds to plant the next harvest, food on sale at markets is unaffordable and livestock lacks grazing land.
There are fears that if the next rains fail, leading to another poor harvest and diminished pasture for livestock, the current disaster could become catastrophic.
Says Gill Thurgood, “There is an urgent need to help those faced with severe hunger now. At the same time, it is equally important to act fast to help people to secure their next harvest and to maintain healthy livestock to prevent the crisis from deteriorating further. More funds are urgently needed to help avert a major catastrophe unfolding in the coming months.”
With funds raised so far, Tearfund's partners are already distributing food and seed in Ethiopia and continuing ongoing work to strengthen people's resilience to drought in Kenya .
The UN estimates almost 13 million Ethiopians need food aid. In Somalia , 2.6 million require food and in Kenya it's 800,000. Another 700,000 people in Uganda are similarly affected.
To donate to Tearfund's East Africa appeal log onto www.tearfund.org or call 0845 355 8355

Lent 2008: Cut carbon, not chocolate
The TEARFUND PRESS RELEASE: 5 February 2008
CALL TO CUT CARBON NOT CHOCOLATE THIS LENT Bradford based aid agency Tearfund is today urging local people to cut their carbon emissions rather than give up chocolate this Lent. The call comes as a new Tearfund survey reveals that three in five adults in the UK are willing to save energy this Lent.
Tearfund has launched the fast because of the urgent need to reduce energy consumption, and to protect poor communities around the world who are already suffering from the ravages of climate change.
Tearfund’s Carbon Fast is a forty-day journey to a lighter carbon footprint, with a simple energy saving action per day. Actions include:
• snubbing plastic bags
• giving the dishwasher a day off
• insulating the hot water tank
• installing draft excluders
Gill Thurgood, Tearfund’s regional manager, says, “As the climate changes and impacts the earth, poor people are being hit the hardest, by more frequent floods and drought. The tragedy is that we who have the power to do something about it are the least affected, whilst those who are most affected are powerless to bring about change. To carry on regardless of their plight is to ignore a major social injustice which flies in the face of Christian teaching. We must do all we can to rein in our consumption.”
Participants will begin the fast by removing one light bulb from a prominent place in the home and live without it for 40 days, as a constant visual reminder of the need to cut energy. On the final day of Lent, people are encouraged to replace the missing bulb with an energy- saving bulb. Over its lifetime that one bulb will save 60kg of carbon dioxide per year and up to £60.
It is estimated that in the UK we emit 9.5 tons of carbon dioxide per person per year; in Ethiopia the average is 0.067 tons and in Bangladesh 0.24. It is estimated that the earth can sustain 0.8 per person.
The Carbon Fast, an idea of Tearfund Vice President and Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, has been backed by senior church leaders and scientists, including The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the Bishop of London, Rev Richard Chatres, Sir John Houghton, former chief executive of the MET Office and Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, former Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sir John Houghton, former chief executive of the MET Office and the first chairman of the IPCC's scientific assessment, advises Tearfund on climate change. He said: “The scientific debate about the basic issue of climate change is over. Climate change is real. Evidence for it is to be seen in every corner of the globe. Tearfund have sounded an urgent warning that climate change is already hitting places like Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Niger hard. Climate change shows us that our energy-hungry lifestyles are harming our poorer neighbours across the world, now. The moral imperative for us to act is unquestionable and inescapable.”
Tadesse Dadi, a Tearfund worker in Ethiopia said millions were already being affected: “Climate change may not yet be a problem for people in Europe, but here in Ethiopia its effects are being felt today by millions of ordinary men and women farmers. These poor communities, who have contributed least to climate change, are suffering the most from its effects.”
For a copy of Tearfund’s Carbon Fast click on www.tearfund.org or call 0845 355 8355
For more information or interviews please contact:
Richard Nolan, Tearfund regional volunteer media officer on 01937 520258
Abby King, Tearfund on 020 8943 7936 or 07939 120545 abby.king @ tearfund.org
Liz Priestley, Tearfund North East Office on 01274 744944

Global Poverty Prayer Week (12 - 18 November 2007)
The Bishop of Bradford, David James, Sir Cliff Richard and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu are among thousands of Christians to add their weight to a major new prayer campaign launched by Tearfund this week. Their support comes as churches prepare to pray during Global Poverty Prayer Week (12-18 November).
They add their prayers to Tearfund's new Global Poverty Prayer Chain, a collection of prayers about poverty from Brazil to Bradford and Leeds to Lusaka; website: www.bepartofamiracle.org
Bishop James says 'I commend Tearfund's Global Poverty Prayer Week.  Our chains of prayer and of love will bring help to the helpless and hope to the hopeless'
Gill Thurgood, Tearfund's North East Regional Manager adds, “I firmly believe prayer changes things. As I've travelled in the developing world, I've been humbled and inspired by the way that people pray as a normal part of life. For many, prayer is the only place to go. Prayer is how they see things change.”
Churches across Yorkshire will join other groups, many in developing nations around the world, in focussing on a different theme each day; HIV, trade justice, climate change, disaster response and water and sanitation.
Prayer for Bradford, a growing group representing more than 35 local churches of different denominations will be praying round the clock for 7 days, covering the effects of poverty in both the global and local community. Reverend Nick Jones of Prayer for Bradford and chairman of HOPE Bradford, says ‘I believe the time is right for us to begin to look outwards and pray wider than just the needs of our own city.'
When one in every two children alive today lives in poverty, the need for prayer for the developing world is overwhelming. Gill says, “That's why we're asking Christians to focus their prayers on the people who daily live in poverty – those living with HIV and Aids, who lack clean water or who live with the daily realities of a changing climate.”
Word copy available (Word, 33kb)

Zimbabwe (October 2007)
More funds are urgently needed to help the poorest and most vulnerable people affected by Zimbabwe 's spiralling crisis, says, Leeds/Bradford based aid agency regional manager, Gill Thurgood. Drought, a succession of poor harvests and economic collapse have brought Zimbabwe 's people to their knees. Many people in Zimbabwe have gone without food for weeks with basic items such as bread and milk unavailable in shops. More than 3 million people in Zimbabwe are at risk of severe food shortages, according to the United Nations. Full press release avilable (pdf, 20kb)

Flood aid appeal for South Asia (August 2007)
With the clean-up after Britain's floods which affected so many in Yorkshire still underway, devastating floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal have killed more than 400 people and affected as many as 30 million people, equivalent to half of the entire population of this country.
Tearfund's Acting Regional Manager for the North East, David Smith, is appealing for funds to help support Tearfund's aid effort, bringing food, water and shelter to badly affected parts of India and Bangladesh.
He says, “We have seen all too clearly of late how floods can turn lives upside down, leaving people homeless, destroying life-long possessions and threatening access to life's basics, such as drinking water.
Yet in South Asia , the suffering caused by the floods is on an enormous scale, with millions of people at risk of life threatening diseases, facing food shortages and lacking clean water to drink.”
Floods, earthquakes and cyclones regularly batter India , and David firmly believes that equipping vulnerable communities to be prepared for disaster is key to saving lives. He says, “Tearfund supports villagers in disaster prone villages to help prepare for disasters, by means such as early warning systems, moving water and food supplies to high ground and practising evacuation procedures. These simple measures can and do save lives.”
He points to signs of hope amidst the current crisis. “One of Tearfund's partners in India , the Discipleship Centre, has been working with five communities in the India state of Orissa to reduce their vulnerability to disaster. While all five villages have been affected, there have been no deaths.”
Elsewhere in India , Tearfund's partners are at bringing immediate relief to those suffering. In Bihar state, Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) is providing food, medical kits, water purification tablets and temporary shelter. EHA are also running a mobile health clinic to help treat people and prevent the spread of disease.
To support Tearfund's work in flood affected areas, call 0845 355 8355 or donate online at www.tearfund.org

Wednesday 23 May 2007: Tear Fund Roadshow
2:00pm - 9:00pm at St Mark's - an exhibition day, welcoming visitors and guests throughout, with presentations and disaplsy on the Tear Fund 10 year vision at 4pm and 7pm with Kath Shortley, Tearcraft UK co-ordinator and Mike Chesterton, Tearfund's Northern Region Manager.

Tearfund crafts displays were complimented by a full market stall from Siwok crafts, presented by Bill & Anne Mercer (tel: 01280 823955), with a range of wood carvings supporting the Wichi Indians in niorthern Argentina.
More info from Liz Priestley, tel: 01274 744944

Monday 26 February 2007: 'Fairtrade Man' appeals for virtual dinner dates
Ben Clowney, 25, a companionable young man who relishes a challenge, is appealing for virtual dinner dates this Fairtrade Fortnight (26 February-11 March) as he embarks upon an ambitious challenge to become a ‘Fairtrade Man'.
Ben's challenge is simple - to consume only food and drink that carries the Fairtrade Mark for fourteen days. Or perhaps it is not so simple, when you consider this excludes all meat and vegetables.
So passionate about the benefits that Fairtrade shopping has on the lives of third world producers, Ben is keen to encourage as many people as possible to join him by pledging to a virtual dinner date via his MySpace webpage. At least 30 people have already pledged to join him for anything from one meal to the whole 14 days.
With more than 2,000 products displaying the Fairtrade Mark available these days, Ben argues that there's plenty of variety to ensure he and his dinner dates will be well fed. Menu plans include muesli and fruit juice for breakfast and peanut curry with rice, mango chutney and even a beer for dinner.
No stranger to a challenge, in 2005 Ben lived on the minimum wage for Lent, while in 2006 he committed to only buy ethically-produced clothes. But, says Ben, who is Campaigns Officer for international aid agency Tearfund, becoming Fairtrade Man is his most ambitious challenge yet.
Since posting his ‘Fairtrade Man' challenge on MySpace last month, Ben has been overwhelmed by messages of support, recipe ideas and donations of Fairtrade food to help him on his way, including drinks, snack bars, breakfast cereal and even a generous supply of Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream.
By taking part in this challenge, Ben is keen to show just how widespread the Fairtrade range is. “Gone are the days when Fairtrade was just about tea, coffee and chocolate,” he says. “With every major supermarket stocking a wide range of Fairtrade products, from avocados to wine and baby food to biscuits, there's something for everyone whether its breakfast, lunch, dinner and plenty in between.”
He adds, “Fairtrade has a massive impact but I'm under no illusion that supporting Fairtrade alone will end world poverty. That's why every day I'll be helping to tackle the bigger issues of trade justice, such as meeting with my MP and writing to my local supermarket to ask them to stock more Fairtrade products. I'll even be emailing the Chair of the European Union (EU) challenging the EU to do more to tackle unfair trade rules.”
Buying products carrying the Fairtrade Mark has a positive impact on the lives of those who grew or made the product. More than 5 million farmers and producers throughout the developing world are benefiting from the Fairtrade commitment to fair prices and safe working conditions.
Christian Churches in North & West Yorkshire have combined to support the Trade Justice Movement focused on strengthening commitment to Fair Trade. The aim is for more than half of Churches across various faith groups in the region to achieve Fair Trade Church status.

Friday 23 February 2007: Working a Miracle
The Work a Miracle appeal launched by Tearfund, a Christian relief and development agency, in association with Wesley Owen bookstores prior to Christmas has a bold vision, to stop the spread of HIV by 2015 in more than 40 of the poorest communities where Tearfund works, and has already surpassed its initial target or raising £2 million by the end of 2007. Wesley Owen Harrogate has witnessed the warmth, compassion, and interest generated locally welcoming many who have called in wanting to find out more and to pledge their support, further buoyed by a recent visit from Phil Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, who read about Work A Miracle in the Harrogate Advertiser.
Mr Willis was given a warm welcome by Julie Jowett, Wesley Owen Harrogate manager, her committed and enthusiastic team, Adrian Stott of Wesley Owen, and Liz Priestly from Tearfund's Regional office. During the visit, more than one customer took up the call “I want to work a miracle” and pledged their support to the appeal.
Julie Jowett, said “We are delighted to be working with Tearfund and to share in the vision of this appeal. We have been heartened by the warm and generous support shown locally to Work A Miracle which is helping to transform the lives of so many living with HIV and Aids and to raise awareness. We pray that others will share in that vision.”
In poor countries, as many as 1,600 babies are born with HIV every day. One in three infected mothers will pass HIV on to their newborn child yet simple measures can reduce this risk to 5%. 9 years to raise £60 million to prevent the spread of HIV in the world's poorest and most vulnerable countries may seem like an impossible vision but it is realistic. For just £7 a mother can protect her unborn child from HIV.
In the first 12 weeks of the Work a Miracle appeal, as many as 10 new HIV projects were set up by Tearfund's partners in Africa meaning that a staggering 185,000 mothers could receive help in the next 10 years. Miracles are happening already.
The main picture shows l-r Richard Nolan, Phil Willis MP, Adrian Stott, Julie Jowett and Liz Priestly.

Monday 5 February 2007: Harrogate and Knaresborough churches urged to take to the lead in climate change fight
Harrogate and Knaresborough churches are being urged by aid agency Tearfund to switch to a green energy provider or install solar panels as part of a new campaign to tackle climate change.
The campaign encourages churches and their congregations to take a series of steps to cut their carbon emissions – such as walking to church instead of taking the car, turning down the thermostat by a degree and using china cups after the service rather than disposable ones and even installing a wind turbine.
Gill Thurgood, Tearfund Regional Manager, said “Climate change hits the poorest people hardest. Changeable weather patterns bring devastating floods, drought, poor harvests, malnutrition, increased disease and death. But we can help by using less energy both at church and at home.”
Tearfund's challenge comes as a leading climate change expert says Christians are neglecting one of the Bible's most important commandments if they fail to do their bit to tackle climate change. Sir John Houghton, former Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the UN, said Christians should take the lead in action to reduce carbon emissions. His comments come as the IPCC report that temperatures will likely increase by 1.8-4C by the end of the century.
Sir John Houghton, also former Chief Executive of the Met Office and Tearfund adviser, said: “The Bible says ‘Love does no harm to its neighbour' (Romans 13:10). But climate change shows us that our energy-hungry lifestyles are harming our poorer neighbours across the world, now. The moral imperative for us to act is unquestionable and inescapable.”
Tearfund's campaign, entitled ‘Don't be a Derek', contrasts an average Westerner dubbed ‘Derek' who puts his own convenience and comfort first, with Andrew, a farmer from Malawi, struggling to cope with the impact of climate change.
The campaign has been backed by the Bishop of Liverpool and Vice President of Tearfund, Rt Rev James Jones, who is to write to his colleagues asking them to take up Tearfund's challenge and promote it to their dioceses.
The Bishop of Liverpool, who has called for a Carbon Fast in his diocese for Lent, says:  “It is the poor who are already suffering the effects of climate change.  To carry on regardless of their plight is to fly in the face of God's commandments.  Tragically when we in the richer countries feel the real force of climate change it will be too late to reverse the inevitable.”
Tearfund is helping communities cope with the impacts of climate change in the developing world. Tadesse Dadi, a Tearfund worker in Ethiopia said: “Climate change may not yet be a problem for people in Europe , but here in Ethiopia its effects are being felt today by millions of ordinary men and women farmers. Aside from the awful drought that has devastated parts of Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya, the impact of climate change is being faced every single year by peasant farmers in different parts of our country. These poor communities, who have contributed least to climate change, are suffering the most from its effects.”

More info and contacts:
Wesley Owen Harrogate tel: 521662, email Harrogate
Tearfund: 0845 355 8355; Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8QE.
Richard Nolan - Tearfund Volunteer Media Officer: 01937 520258
Gill Thurgood or Liz Priestly, Tearfund North East Office: 01274 744944 or 07919 165292
Abby King: 020 8943 7936 or 07939 120545
Jonathan Spencer, Tearfund on 020 8943 7901 or 07767 473516

Tearfund is a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

This webpage is provided by Churches Together in Harrogate. Loving God and Neighbour - together
www.ctharrogate.org.uk