|
The Bishop of Limerick
(Chairman) |
Rev Canon Dr RSJH McKelvey |
|
Rev Canon MAJ Burrows |
Rev AP Patterson |
|
Rev OMR Donohoe (Honorary
Treasurer) |
Rev G Pitt |
|
Ms R Handy |
Mr TA Smallwoods |
|
Mr W Kingston |
Rev IP Poulton (Honorary Secretary) |
|
|
|
· Bishops’ Appeal recorded its highest ever level of income in 2000. Although this included two substantial bequests and collections made in response to emergencies, there has been an encouraging growth in core income of 30% since 1998.
· The year of Jubilee did not bring the cancellation of international debt on the scale for which we had hoped. Support for the Jubilee campaign continues alongside pressing for change in the systems of international trade.
· Mrs Bet Aalen retired as education adviser to the Appeal after seven years of pioneering work and two long-standing members of the committee retired from membership.
· 2000 was the first full year in which the Appeal was administered by staff of the Representative Church Body. We extend our thanks to the staff of Church House for the invaluable help and assistance they have provided.
2000 was both a frustrating year and an encouraging year, frustrating in terms of campaigning, but encouraging in terms of the level of commitment to the work of Bishops’ Appeal.
Much store had been set by the hope of major debt cancellation at the Summit of the G8 countries in Okinawa, Japan during July 2000. Unfortunately the generosity showed by those attending towards themselves, in the gross extravagance of the catering and accommodation for the summit, did not extend to the hundreds of millions of less fortunate people in highly indebted poor countries. Little progress was made towards the removal of the burden of debt from many poor countries and governments of some of the world’s poorest nations continue to find large slices of their already small gross national products consumed by the requirement to service unpayable debts.
The campaign for debt cancellation continues until a true jubilee is achieved. Alongside the debt campaign there will be an increasing campaigning focus upon the inequitable features of the international trading system where poor countries are denied access to markets and where the demands of international liberalisation leave them unable to defend their fledgling industries. Like the Jubilee campaign the trade campaign finds its inspiration in the Biblical demands of justice and equity for all.
Bishops’ Appeal’s educational thrust has been to constantly stress the need for gradual, sustainable long term development, development that creates the capacity for people to address their own problems and to determine their future. Levels of support from the Church still tend to be determined by whether or not there has been a high profile disaster, however the very substantial growth in income should not go unnoticed. The income for 2000 was almost three-quarters of a million pounds (expressed in Irish pounds), this included over £200,000 in bequests and around £100,000 in special collections. However, there has been a growth of around 30% in ordinary income since 1998.
The Advisory Committee is a small voluntary group with one part-time member staff, we express our sincere thanks to the many people who have made the continuing growth of Bishops’ Appeal’s work possible.
Bishops’ Appeal acted as a conduit for responses to a number of humanitarian crises and natural disasters during the year 2000. Christian Aid has been our preferred partner in such situations. It works directly in 60 countries with long-standing partners; it is a member of the international Christian response group Action of Churches Together, and it seeks to work on a ecumenical basis. In times when accountability and transparency are paramount it is important to have partners with a proven track record and with readily verifiable use of resources. As a Church that seeks to promote the path of reconciliation at home it is important to affirm the unity of Christians elsewhere.
Allocations were made at each of the six meetings of the Committee in 2000.
In January Kiwoko Hospital in Uganda received £6,000 Stg for a community based health through CMSI.
In March TEAR Fund were granted IR£14,300 for an AIDS awareness training and counselling programme in Delhi, India. SAMS was sent IR£10,000 for St Andrew’s School in Paraguay, to assist with the training of infant teachers in the Diocese of Paraguay. Neyyoor Hospital, India was allocated IR£5,000 to assist its work in the field of cancer care. A grant of IR£15,600 was made to CMSI to support an urban development programme on behalf of slum dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya led by Isabelle Prondzynski at All Saints’ Cathedral, Nairobi.
There were six ordinary grants at the April meeting. A Christian Aid project to rebuild a school in the Armenian town of Spitak was assisted with a grant of £13,185 Stg. In Rwanda a CMSI supported development training project in the diocese of Gehini was granted £15,130 Stg. SPCK received two grants: the sum of £8,000 Stg was approved for educational materials for returning women refugees in Sierra Leone and a project to provide ongoing education for teenagers in India received £1,000 Stg. A IR£5,000 grant was made to the Christian Council of Tanzania to allow it to expand the work of its savings and credit society. The agency Motivation received a grant of IR£13,000 for a wheelchair scheme in Honduras.
Bishops’ Appeal forwarded amounts received from parishes and earmarked as responses to war and disaster to previously supported partners via Christian Aid: Diakonia Agapes work with refugees from Kosovo and received a further IR£664 and £25,580. The Churches’ Steering Committee in Turkey received a further £1,297 for earthquake relief. A further £1,065 in contributions was sent to Action of Churches Together for flood relief in Venezuela. A reseeding programme in the dioceses of Mundria and Cuibet in Sudan received a further £115. Special collections of IR£5,732 and IR£3,566 to assist the Christian Council of Mozambique with its programmes to help the victims of the terrible flooding were added to an emergency allocation of IR£20,000.
A grant of £20,000 was
paid to Christian Aid to assist its support of partners such as the Ogaden
Welfare Society in Ethiopia in their feeding programmes.
The Committee made four grants at its June meeting. A grant of IR£6,250 was made to Mid-Africa Ministry towards the provision of items such as blankets, soap, cooking pans, clothes, shoes and medicine in the diocese of Makamba in southern Burundi. Christian Aid received IR£20,000 to educate and enable communities to secure safe drinking water in Bangladesh. The diocese of Kajiado in Kenya faced severe drought and famine and CMSI were granted IR£30,000 towards a six-month feeding programme. A grant of IR£5,200 was approved to fund the purchase of equipment and materials for a building employment project in Uganda supported by CMSI.
Further donations in response to emergency situations were:
£21,412 Stg for work assisting refugees in Kosovo; IR£2,846 and £360 Stg for
the continuing earthquake relief programme in Turkey; and IR£1,963 and £3,621
Stg to support communities in Mozambique
recovering from floods. These were
directed to previously supported partners.
In September TEAR Fund received an additional £3,000 Stg for an AIDS awareness training and counselling programme in Delhi, India. The Namirembe Resource Centre, Kampala, Uganda was granted IR£10,000 to assist in the construction of the final phase of a girls’ hostel. The Diocese of North East India received IR£5,000 to purchase five motor cycles to assist communications within the diocese. Christian Aid received IR£5,077 for a community development project in Tamil Nadu, India; IR£17,769 for a coastal development programme in Bangladesh; and IR£14,100 for a landless peoples’ project in Bangladesh. CMSI was granted £8,745 Stg for a builders’ apprenticeship programme in Uganda and £7,793 Stg for an AIDS Awareness Initiative in Southern Sudan.
Earmarked donations received in response to emergencies were as follows: Mozambique IR£9,784 and £7,784 Stg; Sudan IR£282; and Ethiopia £3,893.
The final meeting of the year in November took place prior to the receipt of the two large bequests. At the meeting Christian Aid were granted IR£35,528 to fund the regular production of a nationwide human rights bulletin in Burundi. CMSI received £6,000 Stg for an emergency food grant to All Saints’ Cathedral Urban Development Programme in Nairobi, Kenya; IR£10,000 for a youth training programme in the Diocese of Gehini, Rwanda; and IR£7,500 for food distribution in the Diocese of Bukavu, DR Congo. The Asra Hawariat School, Ethiopia received IR£6,000 towards the continuing work of the school amongst vulnerable children. The final grant of the year was made to a community suffering severely as a consequence of its country’s debt burden: the Leonel Valdivia Co-operative, Nicaragua received IR£3,628 to assist the farmers’ co-operative to recover after suffering serious problems due to Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and flooding in 1999.
Mrs Bet Aalen retired as
education adviser on 31 January 2001.
The Committee would wish to record its warmest gratitude to her for her
work.
Bet Aalen worked tirelessly as education adviser since her pioneering appointment in 1993. Being Bishops’ Appeal’s only employee she has represented the Appeal at countless meetings, seminars, conferences, rallies and synods as well as taking her work out into parishes at grass roots level.
Bishops’ Appeal always had campaigning as part of its remit, but tended to just raise money, rather than raising money and asking questions. Bet Aalen called us back to our founding principles, making the call for justice and righteousness in international development and trade a central plank of our activities. The post was never more than part time and the remuneration small, but Bet devoted a huge amount of her time to the work which carried her through the length and breadth of Ireland. The Jubilee campaign for the removal of the burden of debt from the world’s poorest people became a major feature of Bet’s work when Bishops’ Appeal joined the Jubilee Coalition. Bet’s most recent overseas visit was to Nicaragua where the odious debts incurred by a previous corrupt regime have become a major impediment to development in the country.
Fundraising was never part of Bet’s remit but her enthusiasm and commitment have contributed to a far greater awareness of problems and issues, this has inevitably brought forth a more generous response. Bishops’ Appeal income in the Republic, which was Bet’s sphere of activities, has grown from £138,000 in 1993 to £513,000 in 2000.
We hope Bet enjoys having more time, but never loses that hunger for justice that undergirded everything she did. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of God”.
As well as Bet the Committee lost two of its most experienced members. Mrs Dorothy Burns and Miss Elizabeth Ferrar both retired from the Committee in June 2000 having accumulated more than four decades of service between them. Mrs Burns’ sanctified common sense and wealth of experience and Miss Ferrar’s inimitable wit and razor sharp insights were a major asset to the Committee and their presence has been missed.
At the time of writing Bishops’ Appeal is investigating ways of making the best stewardship of the new possibilities for tax-effective giving which have arisen in both jurisdictions.
The smooth running of the Appeal over the past year has been in no small measure due to the work of staff in Church of Ireland House. Bishops’ Appeal pays a fee of 1% of its turnover for excellent administration and the Committee offers its sincere thanks to those responsible.
|
TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
|
|
IR£ |
IR£ |
IR£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Displaced People |
|
5,582 |
216,670 |
61,608 |
|
Disaster Relief |
|
67,977 |
17,437 |
157,218 |
|
Rural Development |
|
41,164 |
43,569 |
162,199 |
|
Education/Communications |
|
44,059 |
110,273 |
123,869 |
|
Health & Medical |
|
135,649 |
28,534 |
70,742 |
|
|
|
_______ |
_______ |
_______ |
|
Totals |
|
294,431 |
416,483 |
575,636 |
|
|
|
_______ |
_______ |
_______ |
|
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
|
|
IR£ |
IR£ |
IR£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christian Aid |
|
151,528 |
288,767 |
369,158 |
|
Direct |
|
31,747 |
19,000 |
20,000 |
|
SPCK |
|
- |
- |
11,358 |
|
CMS |
|
21,436 |
39,669 |
117,202 |
|
USPG |
|
13,397 |
26,722 |
- |
|
Trocaire |
|
3,520 |
666 |
- |
|
SAMS |
|
10,000 |
- |
10,000 |
|
Crosslinks |
|
7,062 |
- |
- |
|
Red Cross |
|
5,000 |
- |
- |
|
Feed the Minds |
|
- |
18,248 |
- |
|
Tear Fund |
|
16,000 |
2,500 |
17,668 |
|
Others |
|
34,741 |
20,911 |
30,250 |
|
|
|
_______ |
_______ |
_______ |
|
Totals |
|
294,431 |
416,483 |
575,636 |
|
|
|
_______ |
_______ |
_______ |
|
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 |
|
|
|
|
|
IR£ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Africa |
|
|
|
301,984 |
|
Asia |
|
|
|
126,504 |
|
Europe |
|
|
|
84,208 |
|
South and Central America |
|
|
|
62,940 |
|
|
|
|
|
_______ |
|
|
|
|
|
575,636 |
|
|
|
|
|
_______ |
|
|
Year 1998 |
Year 1999 |
Year 2000 |
|||
|
|
Stg£ |
IR£ |
Stg£ |
IR£ |
Stg£ |
IR£ |
|
ARMAGH |
17,249 |
453 |
25,592 |
2,002 |
24,486 |
3,741 |
|
CLOGHER |
14,539 |
852 |
10,642 |
3,356 |
10,371 |
2,726 |
|
CONNOR |
35,390 |
|
22,654 |
|
49,612 |
|
|
DERRY & RAPHOE |
20,884 |
7,357 |
35,574 |
13,394 |
27,931 |
11,053 |
|
DOWN & DROMORE |
48,333 |
|
28,435 |
356 |
73,700 |
|
|
KILMORE |
454 |
6,799 |
469 |
14,557 |
319 |
7,232 |
|
Kilmore |
454 |
3,808 |
469 |
9,752 |
319 |
3,212 |
|
Elphin |
|
2,991 |
|
4,805 |
|
4,020 |
|
CASHEL |
|
19,584 |
|
41,632 |
|
30,313 |
|
Cashel |
|
7,722 |
|
12,709 |
|
12,489 |
|
Ossory |
|
11,410 |
|
18,201 |
|
12,204 |
|
Ferns |
|
452 |
|
10,722 |
|
5,620 |
|
CORK |
|
20,606 |
|
27,829 |
|
21,940 |
|
DUBLIN |
|
78,141 |
|
119,775 |
|
102,917 |
|
LIMERICK |
|
8,356 |
|
14,449 |
|
12,864 |
|
MEATH |
|
14,625 |
|
24,933 |
|
20,156 |
|
Meath |
|
10,977 |
|
9,167 |
|
12,827 |
|
Kildare |
|
3,648 |
|
15,766 |
|
7,329 |
|
TUAM |
|
2,679 |
|
12,588 |
|
1,725 |
|
INDIVIDUALS |
3,257 |
12,679 |
1,772 |
46,518 |
354 |
299,319 |
|
DJAC |
|
495 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
|
TOTALS |
140,106 |
172,626 |
125,138 |
321,389 |
186,773 |
513,985 |
|
|
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
______ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 |
1999 |
|
|
IR£ |
IR£ |
|
INCOME |
|
|
|
Contributions from dioceses |
449,925 |
431,160 |
|
Contributions from individuals |
299,766 |
48,753 |
|
Deposit Interest |
7,111 |
2,491 |
|
Currency exchange (loss)/gain |
(50) |
215 |
|
Christian Aid co-funding educational expenses |
6,600 |
6,600 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
|
763,352 |
489,219 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
EXPENDITURE |
|
|
|
Allocations paid |
575,636 |
416,483 |
|
Printing and Stationery |
8,358 |
13,292 |
|
Administration Expenses |
9,626 |
2,320 |
|
Education Expenses |
5,597 |
5,094 |
|
Salaries & PRSI |
8,680 |
12,254 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
|
607,897 |
449,443 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
Surplus for year |
155,455 |
39,776 |
|
Balance at 1 January |
99,217 |
59,441 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
Balance at 31 December |
254,672 |
99,217 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
EMPLOYMENT OF FUNDS |
|
|
|
Cash in bank |
- |
22,989 |
|
Cash on deposit |
254,672 |
76,228 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
Balance at 31 December |
254,672 |
99,217 |
|
|
________ |
________ |
|
|
|
|
The Standing Committee is responsible for preparing the Income and Expenditure Account and the Fund Account for the year ended 31 December 2000. We have examined the above and have compared them with the books and records of the Fund. We have not performed an Audit and, accordingly, do not express an audit opinion of the above statements. In our opinion, the above statements are in accordance with the books and records of the Fund.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Chartered Accountants
Dublin
14 March 2001