Join us on the 6th June for the IFast

Isaiah 58: True Fasting “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice … to share your food with the hungry?”

How much do you want to end hunger? Worldwide, 1 in 8 people can’t get enough food. Ever wondered what that feels like? As part of our action around the G8, we’re going to make hunger personal, just for one day, by choosing to go without food so the leaders of the world see how hungry we are for change!

Faith groups that are members of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign have joined forces to organise a special fast on Thursday 6 June, ahead of the G8 event in London: the IFast

There are many ways in which you can take part – and don’t worry, you don’t need to give up everything for the whole day – there are various options, for example:

- fasting one meal during the day

- fasting dawn til dusk

- fasting the entire day

- abstaining from luxury foods during the day ie, you could just have very simple meals of a few basic items.

Feast or famine? Courtesy St Peter’s Primary, Romford

You can download the full step-by-step guide to the IFast, with ideas on how you can involve your parish or community, on the IF main website here. It also includes a press release that you can use if you are organising a community event to “break the fast” afterwards – a great awareness-raiser.

Whatever you choose to do – don’t forget to register! It is really important that we tell the world we are fasting, if we want to get noticed by the politicians. Make sure you register your involvement on the IF website.

Thank you for taking part!

EVENT: Practical Engagement in Justice & Peace Saturday 22nd June 2013

Organised by Diocese of Brentwood Commission for Justice & Social Responsibility, you are invited to a day of training and workshops to help you make it happen!

Saturday 22nd June 2013, 10.30am-3.30pm
(tea and coffee from 10.00am)
Cathedral Halls
Brentwood
CM15 8AT

We are called to put our faith into action for positive change in an unjust world and to challenge people in power to work for the common good.

There are so many ways to make a difference – so whether you prefer to type, talk or tweet; have hours to spare or just a few minutes to squeeze in; there’s an answer to the question: “what can I do?”

Workshops include:

“Putting Social Teaching into Action” led by Valerie Flessati
“How to lobby your MP” led by Rachel McCarthy
“Relating J&P to communities” led by Sr Una McCreesh
“People Trafficking” led by Cecilia Camara-Taylor

See attached poster and for more information or to book a place, email davina@dioceseofbrentwood.org or phone 01277 265234 and leave a message

All are welcome. Tea and coffee provided – bring your own lunch. No charge to attend but donations welcome

Latest Newsletter now online!

IF … you want to read about all the things that have happened around the Diocese over the last couple of months

IF … you want to find out how you can make the G8 listen to the voices of the poor

IF … you want to take part in the bike ride on 23rd June

IF … you only read our latest newsletter!

Teachers take the plunge for CAFOD

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Sue Judge, Chaplain and Gina Semambo, RE teacher at The Palmer Academy , Ilford bravely abseiled 110 ft down the Harlow Water tower last weekend

When asked why she was doing it sue said ‘Well, we thought it would be a nice way to get a scenic view of Essex! While at the same time supporting a great charity that does fantastic work around the world and lives out our faith.

Afterwards Gina said’ it was a bit scary going over the edge but a great experience and I’m up for doing it again’.

They are well on their way to raising an amazing £1,000 and would like to thank their family and friends and staff and pupils at the Palmer Academy for their support.

Our Marathon Marvels!

CAFOD Brentwood were delighted to have five people supporting CAFOD in the London Marathon.

Adele Moggan

Adele Moggan (53), from Basildon, ran a personal best of 4 hours 53 minutes. She claimed that this was just “training” for the notorious Marathon des Sabres, a gruelling 156-mile run over 6 days in the Sahara Desert – which she plans to run in 2015!

Jame and Joe Finch (with Lauren Rivers)

Joe Finch, from Brentwood, finished in a fantastic time of 3 hours 6 minutes (in only his second marathon). Joe was almost forced to stop by crippling knee pain with 2 miles to go. He said it was a banner on the course that persuaded him to carry on: “Run fast. Walk if you have to. But finish for Boston”. James, father of Joe, also took part in the Marathon.

Peter French

Peter French (47) from Woodford Green, also set a person best in his ninth marathon and beat his personal fundraising total for CAFOD, raising a fintal total of £4500. He said afterwards: “What I like about CAFOD is that they help poverty-stricken communities by getting them back on their own feet, not just throwing money at them. Ultimately everyone is helped to provide for themselves.”

Peter Tree

Peter Tree (58), a veteran of eight marathons from Thurrock, ran the London Marathon to raise money in memory of ex-CAFOD staffer, Antony Mahony, his best friend since childhood who died in 2011 from cancer.

Well done to everyone who took part in the London Marathon.

St Peter’s Primary School, Romford hold a Rich man Poor man coffee afternoon

Feast or famine?

Head, Jenny Waterfield, writes:

“Having known 1 in 8 people in the world are hungry, we sold each person a ticket as entrance to our coffee afternoon after school. The tickets were arranged so that in each group of 8 tickets sold, one of them was for a poor man’s meal.

Rich people received a doughnut, biscuit, crisps and sausage/tea/coffee/squash, whilst Poor people received two dry crackers and a glass of water

The event was a striking way of demonstrating the realities of food poverty in the world. It was good for our community to see/understand how fortunate most people in the world are, but also equally important to see the injustice of those who go without.

The children and parents were overwhelmed with the impact of the event and would like to repeat next year. We had a CAFOD powerpoint presentation and popsters displayed – all of which came after our CAFOD assembly we had days before, given by volunteer, Peter Jones.”

Marathon’s over for Adele

Congratulations Adele!

Adele Moggan, a mum of five from Basildon, completed the course in just under 4 hrs 53 minutes. Adele said: “The crowd were really supportive; I couldn’t get round without them. They just keep you going when it starts to get hard towards the end. A lot of us felt very empathetic with the people of Boston; and it put that final push in lots of people’s legs to get to the finish. One of the banners we saw on the way round said: ‘If you feel like stopping, do it for Boston’. That was really inspirational.”

On Sunday 21 April, 17 CAFOD runners completed the London Marathon raising over £28,000 for our work around the world.

After a bright and early start in Greenwich, all 17 of our amazing runners completed the 26.2 mile race, finishing exhausted but exhilarated at the famous Mall in central London.

Pedal against Poverty – Sunday 23rd June

Get on your bike to fight poverty this June at this fantastic family event!

Choose  between two routes through the scenic Lee Valley Country Park:

• an 18 mile return ride comencing  from Ponders End Lock
• a 10 mile route begining in Cheshunt

Both routes follow the wide flat tow paths alongside the river Lea and meet in Broxbourne around lunch time where you can enjoy your picnic and buy a hot or cold drink and ice cream from the kiosk..

Participants under 18 must be accompanies by an adult. £6 registration fee for entrants

Download a registration form here

For more information email brentwood@cafod.org.uk or phone 0208 502 9722

CAFOD supporters are ‘Hungry for Change’ at Hanningfield Reservoir

Over 40 supporters braved the elements and walked through Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Reserve near Billericay in solidarity with the 1 in 8 people who go to bed hungry each night in the developing world.

The walk took us through the beautiful Essex Wildlife Trust reserve enjoying the panoramic views and bird hides overlooking the Essex & Suffolk Water reservoir. Children enjoyed a treasure trail then volunteers Luke and Ellie played games to keep them warm before attempting to make a giant human ‘IF’ as part of the Enough food for everyone IF… campaign.

Diocesan staff Joanna, Denise and Mary were delighted that so many people turned up to support the walk and enjoy Hanningfield reservoir which is such a beautiful place to spend a few hours

Supporters came from the surrounding areas – Chelmsford, Billericay, Brentwood and Basildon and from slightly further afield such as Woodford, Loughton and Ilford .They also made donations of over £100.

The walk couldn’t have taken place without the support of Gayle at the Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre and her staff and volunteers. The Co-operative Society also kindly donated fair-trade chocolate as prizes for the children who took part in the treasure trail.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the IF campaign can visit the web site

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and so back to Freetown

It’s difficult to believe that our trip to Sierra Leone is almost at an end. We have returned to Freetown from Makeni and once again joined with the rest of the gappers who were visited Kenema.

Our last week in Makeni was one of many fond farewells. Our hosts, Caritas Makeni, treated us to three farewell evenings! We have possibly sampled the best nightlight Makeni has to offer. The final farewell, on Friday, was at Joe Turay’s (Director of Caritas Makeni) home.

A wonderful array of local dishes, curried goat, bbq chicken, plantain, yam and green bananas – washed down by the local Star beer and poyo (palm wine). During our trip we had arranged for African outfits to be made for us, at one of the Caritas projects and we wore them to the farewell evening. Everyone was really impressed that we had gone to the effort.

L-R Carmel, Pete, Denise, Joe and Iona

It’s been an inspirational trip – from the partners we have worked alongside, the communities we have met and the local people we have passed the time with. We know we will carry their hopes and their prayers in our hearts as we travel back to the UK and for many years to come.