St Mary's has supported many different overseas and local charities over the years. For overseas charities it has been our policy to give to those with a Christian ethos.  Our choice of local charities reflects the particular interests and concerns of the members of the congregation who propose them.

In addition to financial giving out of church income to its chosen charities, St Mary’s supports other charities with one-off collections, such as for Christian Aid during Christian Aid Week in May and the Children’s Society at the Christingle Service and in response to major disasters.  

Charitable Giving in Kind 

The Windsor Room is made available free of charge to HANDS (Help a Neighbour in Distress) for Sunday lunch, and the premises next door are licensed to Off the Record for their confidential counseling service, again free of charge. 

The congregation supports requests for the Richmond food bank organised by the Vineyard Church and the Christmas Angel Tree buying gifts for people on the local Social Services register.

Financial Giving to Charity 

Each year the PCC has set aside an amount of money it will pledge to charity out of its income.  Cheques are given out at harvest time each year.

At harvest 2013 we gave £12,600 out of PCC income raised in 2012 to the following charities:

Overseas:   Leprosy Mission

                  Mengo Hospital, Uganda

                  Mission Aviation Fellowship

                  Mission to Seafarers

                  Mothers’ Union (Overseas work)

                  Bethany Ministry, Philippines

                  Us (formerly United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel)

                  Vellore Hospital, India

Local:        Alzheimer’s Society (West locality)

                  Crossway Pregnancy Crisis centre

                  Double O Charity

                  HANDS

                  Richmond Youth Partnership (Off the Record)

                  Samaritans (Kingston area)

                  Together as One

                  Twickenham Club for the Blind

                  Welcare

Charitable Giving out of 2013 Income

At harvest this year £13,500 will be distributed to the same list of charities as above. This amount was raised in 2013 through the monthly Mengo collections and from the retiring collections on the four charity Sundays held last year, and was topped up considerably by the PCC out of its income and reserves.

Charitable Giving out of 2014 Income

In the changing economic climate the PCC has recognised the need for greater certainty in budgeting the money available to it for St Mary’s day-to-day expenditure. At harvest next year the amount available for charity will be £6,500 out of church income in 2014 plus all the amounts raised on the charity Sundays held this year and from the monthly Mengo collections.

Charitable Giving out of 2015 Income

Money for charitable giving out of 2015 income will be raised through the retiring collections after the charity Sundays together with 50% of the net proceeds of the Summer Fayre and 50% of the Christmas collections (i.e. the cash collection other than planned giving from the Business Community Carol Service, Newland House Carol Service, Advent and Parish Carol Services, Crib Services, Midnight Mass and the Christmas Day Eucharist).

It is hoped that we can establish a closer connection with the charities we support through regular contact with them including speakers and through prayer.  This will mean that we will donate to a smaller number of carefully chosen charities, both local and overseas.

As has always been the case, additional retiring collections may be made in response to major disasters.

Charity Sundays 2015

We shall be joined by a representative from one of the charities we support as a church at the 9.30 Eucharist on each of the Charity Sundays.  The service will be followed by a retiring collection for all the charities we support as a church.

3 May - Guest Speaker Clare Paine from Christian Aid