Donations

Help us to help others

We do not receive any financial support from the State or from the Church of England.

  • We raise money to support our local community.
  • We fund-raise for other charities at home and abroad, and you might want to help too (see Other Causes, below).
  • And we want this beautiful and historic Grade II* Listed building to have our constant care. The ancient fabric needs continuing sensitive but expensive repairs. Recent jobs have included improved lighting; extensive leadwork and roof repairs to the south aisle; new lighting and handrails in the tower; and external stone and flint wall repairs.
  • All contributions, great or small, are very gratefully received!

Please help us to maintain our work in the parish – and to maintain the upkeep of our historic church.

Your donation will be much appreciated. Thank you!

Donate online here, securely, by credit or debit card:

Please donate here

Other ways to donate

  • By bank transfer; please email our Secretary for our bank account details, or you can use the convenient Gifts form (use these Word or PDF versions) and email that to her. The Gift form includes a simple Gift Aid form which you may also want to complete.
  • Or post a cheque to St Thomas Treasurer, c/o No. 20, Lewes BN7 2BB (that is a full address that will deliver to the Secretary). Please make cheques payable to “St Thomas a Becket Church”.

Other Causes that you may like to support:

    • Family Support Work helps families in Sussex to overcome difficulties and prevent crises.  Issues include poverty, ill health, learning difficulties, bereavement, family break-up and domestic abuse.
    • Join Ride and Stride: get sponsorship to walk or ride (bike, horse, car, electric buggy) to churches across the county. Annually on the second Saturday of September, it’s backed by Sussex Historic Churches. You can visit some of the 600 churches and chapels involved – and explore parts of Sussex you may not normally see.
    • Caring and Sharing  (see opposite, right) “Live more simply that others may simply live” is the motto of this East Sussex charity. Through them we send money to ‘My Father’s House’ near Olinda, Brazil, which supports many local families.
    • Churches Together Lewes donates to local projects and the Food Bank at the Phoenix Centre here in the Cliffe.
    • We also support the Church of England Children’s Society

If you need advice about any of these opportunities please email our Treasurer.

 

Thank you!

Gift Aid

Gift Aid Logo

If you are a UK taxpayer, you may ‘Gift Aid’ your donation. This increases its value to us by 25% without any additional cost to you.

Simply download our Gift Aid form – choose the editable Word version and then email it to us, or the PDF  version which you can print out, complete by hand, and then either scan and return by email, or post it to the address shown on the form.

Visits from volunteer dentists - the children receive toothbrushes

Caring & Sharing

(Picture shows visit by volunteer dentists – the children receive toothbrushes)

‘My Father’s House’ is run by Ian and Simea Meldrum, Anglican priests in Olinda, a town on the western coast of Brazil, with a population of about half a million. They receive children both morning and afternoon, according to each child’s time at school. They concentrate on those with learning difficulties and supporting their health and nutrition.  Simea’s ‘Church of the Living Waters’ ministers to families who live and work around the rubbish tip. It is estimated that there are 90,000 families in Olinda living below the poverty level, with the number of families living on the streets increasing.

With their 200 volunteers, they help boys who live on the streets. ‘My Father’s House’, aims to prevent family breakdowns, reducing the risk to young people of falling into a life of crime. They have youth camps, family camps and monthly prayer vigils. Families come from the tip and spend a weekend living and playing together as a family unit and are taught basic family skills. A Teen Brigade from the church comes out regularly to learn survival skills. There’s support with school work as well as fun such as football. Families have been helped with income and budgeting: a course in cooking and economics for mothers was very successful, with three full classes. Food parcels have also been provided.

Our church sends the money you donate, but they also ask us to pray for their work. Pray for the dedicated team:
Andrea – Project Coordinator
Tais and Will – Teachers
Joao and Edson – Sports Facilitators
Ian – Administration

Please pray that many of the children will be benefit from and respond to the sessions.
Pray for the work team and the events, including the performance by the children. Pray that it will touch the hearts of their friends and families who come to see it.
Pray for those families in our community who find the school holidays difficult, whether it be juggling childcare and work or simply having the financial means to feed them one full meal a day.
Pray that we are able to step in and support with this through offering food packages or feeding those that attend us a meal each day.