West London charity concert raises the roof

Northwood Methodist Church was raising money for people like Amelia who is working to combat the climate crisis.

Supporters of international development charity Christian Aid raised more than £500 with a concert held at Northwood Methodist Church.

Among those performing at the church, in Oaklands Gate, was opera singer Chen Wang.

Church spokesperson, Shirley Askew, said: “We had a lovely celebration for Christian Aid Week with a lunch and a concert which raised £550.45 which we felt was a good effort for a small church.

“As well as performing, Chen conducted the choir, Viva Voce, who are at the London School of Theology, Northwood, where Chen also teaches music and we also had some of Chen’s young pupils performing. The church also regularly contributes to CA through ‘regular charitable giving’.“

Money raised during Christian Aid Week will help the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.

This year’s appeal highlighted work in Guatemala, in Central America, where climate change is causing the seasons to intensify and shift erratically. As a result, farming communities have to battle severe floods and, more recently, ferocious heatwaves. Water sources are drying up and vital crops are failing, plunging farming families into hunger and poverty.

Despite the challenges families are facing, the unstoppable power of hope drives people to look for ways to push back.

Christian Aid has been working with organisations like, Coordinación de ONG y Cooperativas, to offer training and tools so farmers can diversify and grow more resilient crops, build water recycling systems, and create organic fertiliser.

To find out more about projects like these and how to get involved, visit www.christianaid.org.uk.