#Givethanks for your Covid-19 vaccine

The idea is to give people in our Diocese an opportunity to pass on the sense of relief and blessing at being vaccinated by making a donation to Christian Aid’s #Givethanks Coronavirus Appeal.

Funds from the appeal are helping vulnerable communities around the world access soap, food and vital health information in the face of the pandemic, and a special donations page has been set up to allow your donations to go to South Sudan.

Bishop Nicholas said:

"This strikes me as a very good idea. I'm sure that anyone who has had the vaccine feels a deep sense of gratitude for the hope it brings, and it's all the more wonderful to be able to share some of that gratitude with our brothers and sisters in South Sudan."

The idea began in the Diocese of Gloucester and we, like them, hope that people will give generously to the work of Christian Aid from a place of thanksgiving. Whether people can give just a few pounds or a much larger sum, it will make a huge difference to communities across the globe.

Christian Aid partners have so far directly helped over half a million people in 27 countries including distributing food packages to nearly 60,000 people struggling to feed their families after losing work during lockdown and the economic downturn.

Going forwards, Christian Aid will support vaccination programmes in countries where it is operating by providing data on hard-to-reach populations to local health services and by challenging misleading information about the virus and vaccination as well as any stigma faced by those who contract Covid-19.

Jo Haine, Team Vicar in Weymouth and Radipole, has had her vaccine and has already made a contribution to the wider Christian Aid gratitude appeal:

“In the UK we’re so blessed to have free healthcare through the NHS so why not #GiveThanks for your Covid Vaccination by making a donation that will protect some of the most vulnerable people. It’s simple and easy to do.

Having been so ill with Covid-19 during the first lockdown I was so grateful to be invited for a vaccination. It’s a relief to know that it will not only protect me from the virus but also those around me.”

You can donate here.

While Christian Aid is concentrating on the pandemic, our Sudan Link work continues in both Sudan and South Sudan, and donations to this ongoing work can be made here.