Following Bishop Andrew’s death, the BGCF trustees would like to assure you that the 2026 Lent appeal continues.

Bishop Andrew was an advocate for all the causes supported and we intend to carry on his work with the funds raised this year and beyond.

Thank you for your support.

In requesting support in 2026, Bishop Andrew wrote:

Since its earliest days, the Church has brought together a commitment to evangelism with a heart for the poor. In Acts we see the apostles responding to the desperate need of a group of widows by choosing seven others to organise the first-ever church-run Foodbank.

The Bishop of Guildford’s Communities Fund was set up in recognition that pockets of poverty can exist in the most unlikely places – relational and spiritual poverty alongside physical deprivation. Our funding comes mostly from collections at special bishop-led services (confirmations, licensings etc) and the Lent Appeal. The Trustee body is voluntary and does all of the administration, so all of the money that is given goes directly towards its charitable purposes. 

Last year we raised around £28,000 in all. Ten grants ranging from £500 to £3,000 helped fund meals for the vulnerable, cafés for the isolated, youth and community workers and other wellbeing initiatives. 

We urgently need to continue this work, not least at a time when charitable funding in general has been on the decrease and community need on the increase. Your generosity can bring hope to those who are struggling - people living with disabilities, battling mental ill-health, facing financial hardship, or experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. Even a small gift can make a big difference.

It is so important that we all make a special effort this Lent to live out the sheer ‘goodness’ of the Good News of Christ.