Shoppers invited to support yuletide tunes for charity.
Christian Aid supporters in Sheffield are organising some festive fun in support of families living through conflicts.
The charity has launched its Christmas Appeal and supporters around the UK are getting involved by taking part in carol concerts and holding collections during Advent services.
Sheffield Christian Aid Group is joining in by once again organising its annual carol singing, on Saturday, December 6, with intrepid singers and local choirs donning their thermals to entertain the shoppers of Sheffield.
This year’s appeal is focusing on the plight of the millions of people forced to flee their homes because of conflict, and the charity is sharing stories from communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa.
Millions of families, forced to flee the violence between multiple armed groups and government forces, now live in overcrowded, unsanitary, makeshift conditions with limited access to food, clean water and electricity. Vital infrastructure has been attacked, including hospitals, banks, schools and markets. The hospitals which remain open are overwhelmed and struggling to treat the wounded. With banks forced to shut for months at a time, those who can earn money are unable to access their pay, pushing their families into crisis.
Christian Aid has worked with local organisations in the DRC since the 1970s and is currently helping people in camps and villages who have had to leave their homes.
Supporters like Sheffield Christian Aid Group will be raising funds for the work of Christian Aid’s partners who provide cash assistance so people can buy essential supplies such as food, medicine or bedding; give people better access to clean water; and provide support for survivors of rape and gender-based violence.
Spokesperson Alison Trezise said: “Donations will help people with immediate needs – for instance, £3could buy the mosquito net that protects a child from contracting malaria. The funding also supports people in the long term to develop sustainable incomes which increase their resilience to the many challenges they face.
“Despite the cold, I always feel it’s a privilege to be able to sing of God’s incarnation as people go about their shopping, hopefully reminding them it isn’t all about finding the perfect gift – we have that in Jesus. But that it is also a time of generosity towards those who have had to leave everything behind, especially as we remember the birth of a Saviour who was born into poverty and also had to flee for his life.
“We hope lots of people will come along and listen to the music and support Christian Aid. We’ll be at the top of the Moor shopping area between 10am and 3pm.”
To find out more about Christian Aid, please visit www.christianaid.org.uk.