Fund Raising Events
Recent Events
Sax’s Cool Spring Concert
Good reason to Rejoice!
Together with my drum kit, I joined fifteen saxo- phones, a couple of guitars and a bass for a lively concert at Priory Methodist Church, Bedford, at the end of April. When the band members heard of the suffering in Zimbabwe they were keen to do it.
The programme included many old favourite tunes from 1920’s - 40’s, a few jazz numbers, ‘Libertango’, ‘42nd Street’, ‘Cavatina’….. and I sang a couple of pre-war, but frequently revived, vocals! We included a pictorial presentation of the tragedy and need in Zimbabwe followed by a sax arrangement of ‘Nkosi Sikelel’i Afrika’ to the boom of an African drum. ‘God bless Africa’ - This concert enabled a joyful crowd to join with Him in providing blessing for Africa.
The total raised, including some Gift Aid and a £50 donation from the bank, came to £1,789. So - many good reasons to rejoice !!
David Winwood
A precious gift of talent and time
The beautiful liturgical banners featured here (and others like them depicting the Christian festivals) were hand crafted by two ladies of extraordinary talent. Mrs Irene Watts (on the right in the first photo) and her friend Mrs Anne White had been commissioned by a church in Liverpool to produce a full set of banners to be on permanent display. After many months of careful and intricate work – a labour of love on the part of the two ladies - the banners were ready and were presented to the church, to great acclaim. Irene Watts donated the whole of her part of the fee received to Zimbabwe Victims Support Fund, which she and her husband, Methodist minister Rev Dave Watts have supported faithfully since its inception. It is understood that Anne White donated her part of the fee to Karibuni Trust, a street children’s project in Kenya.
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to both these talented ladies !
Celebration Singers fundraising concert in aid of the Zimbabwe Victims Support Fund.
The Celebration Singers, an Ecumenical Choir in West Cumbria, gave a concert in Gosforth Methodist Church in May 2014 as a fundraising venture for the Zimbabwe Victims Support Fund.
Gosforth is only a small village so the attendance wasn’t enormous but the work of Graham Shaw and his colleagues is of particular interest in the area because Graham was formerly a minister in the Whitehaven Methodist Circuit before moving to his present ministry at the other end of the country. The concert raised in total £ 430.
The Celebration Singers was originally formed in 1990 as Whitehaven Methodist Circuit Choir under the leadership of Carolyn Ashbridge but expanded and became ecumenical to take part in a performance of “Hopes & Dreams” organised in 2000 for the Millenium. There are now choir members from many denominations and the current rehearsal venue is St Andrew’s Evangelical Anglican Church.
Graham may have moved from West Cumbria a few years ago but his concern for those suffering in Zimbabwe is remembered by many who knew him.
John & Carolyn Ashbridge.
Raising Funds for Victims
As published in the Warminster Journal 17 October 2014Download and view this article by clicking here
“Send the money to Zimbabwe"
That was the goal of a bunch of young adults who came to Bedford from all over the country, bringing their cornets, horns, euphoniums, trombones and percussion, to raise money for ZVSF.
They were members of the National Methodist Youth Brass Band who travelled at their own expense, and even covered the costs of their meals, to ensure that every penny from their concert would provide food for those who live with poverty and hunger in Zimbabwe. The concert was brilliant, and packed with people, so was their contribution to Sunday worship.
A few weeks later the Bedford Gallery Quire, with eighteenth century instruments and outfits, added to the funds with a ‘Truly Traditional Christmas Concert’ of music from that period, as a Christmas gift to ZVSF.
