Kilfennan Presbyterian fundraises for 'Break the Cycle of Poverty' festive charity appeal

Kilfennan Presbyterian Church recently held two ‘cyclathon’ events in their local SPAR stores to raise money for people living in poverty around the world.

Pam Royle, who volunteers as Tearfund’s ‘Church Rep’ in the church, says: "We had been thinking of doing a fundraiser for some time. We wanted to raise awareness (in the North West) of the work of Tearfund. So when we heard the Henderson group was going to match any donations to the Christmas Appeal, we thought it would be a good idea to approach our two local SPAR stores to see if we could organise a collection."

Pam continues: "We decided to do a ‘cyclathon’ last Saturday, December 14. We opened it to our church family, and the response was brilliant - with young and older taking part. We also announced the event in neighbouring congregations."

The group held a cyclathon in EUROSPAR Rossdowney and a cash collection in SPAR Church Meadows on Saturday, December 14.

"People were very generous, and some hadn’t heard of Tearfund, so we were able to explain about the Christmas Appeal and how Tearfund work alongside communities in areas of need."

The church, based in the Waterside area of the City, has raised an incredible £1050.47, which will now be doubled.

Break the Cycle of Poverty, the new festive appeal from Tearfund in partnership with SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores across Northern Ireland, will aim to raise £350,000 through shopper donations this year.

The retailer will match every £1 raised by shoppers, meaning an incredible £700,000 could go towards people living in extreme poverty around the world, like Malich and her family.

Pam Royle, Tearfund’s ‘Church Rep’ volunteer, and a members of Kilfennan Presbyterian taking part in the fundraising activities. (Photo credit: Pam Royle)

Malich’s family live in northern Kenya, in a community where, traditionally, they relied on livestock farming to survive. Constant cycles of droughts and floods mean that is no longer possible. Malich must search for water or rely on water trucks to refill tanks which they eke out, little by little. Her family also survives on little more than wild fruit to eat.

Chris Thompson, Tearfund’s Director in Northern Ireland, says it’s often women that bear the brunt of this; ‘Women like Malich are walking tens of kilometers in search of jerry cans of water and fruit to pick, which leaves them vulnerable to attacks while they seek to keep their families alive.

‘Tearfund exists to empower individuals like Malich, and the communities they live in, to break the cycle and lift themselves out of extreme poverty. We've been working in communities in this area of Kenya for three years enabled by our supporters' generosity. Our partners have also been supporting drought recovery through a resilience-building project, helping people explore viable alternative livelihoods, such as crop and chicken farming.’

Chris Thompson finished; ‘Around the world, we see the impact that donations have on the most vulnerable. A huge thank you to all at Kilfennan Presbyterian, as well as to all across NI who will donate to help families thrive and break the cycle of poverty for good.’

Break the Cycle of Poverty is now live, with donation boxes in SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores throughout Northern Ireland, running until 31st January 2025. Shoppers can also donate online and find out more via tearfund.org/spar.