Generous donors have helped the United Reformed Church (URC) raise more than £23,000 for Christian Aid.

The initiative started when Salisbury URC member Meg Abel, suggested that people might wish to show their gratitude for their own Covid-19 vaccinations by helping to raise funds to supply coronavirus vaccines to countries struggling to afford them.

The idea was taken up by Peter Pay, who is also a member of Salisbury URC and who serves as one of the Moderators of the URC General Assembly. Peter made enquiries with the team which coordinates the URC’s global justice programme, Commitment for Life which contacted Christian Aid to form a partnership. The charity is already on the ground, helping keep people safe from coronavirus with practical support.

The URC’s fundraising campaign launched in February with the aim of raising £5,000. Due to the generosity of donors, the target was raised to £10,000 in April. However, since that time £23,172 (at the time of writing) has been raised, and people are still donating.

Peter said: “I am delighted to see how much has been raised and still is, through the generosity of URC members. We recognise importance of the equitable distribution of vaccines and health measures.”

Nick Georgiadis, Christian Aid’s Director for Fundraising and Supporter Engagement, talks about the Christian Aid and URC partnership in a video here.

If you would like to help and express your thanks for your coronavirus vaccine, you can make a donation here.