Sudbury to Bures Sponsored Canoe Trip

The ten canoeists set off from the slipway beside The Granary at the end of Quay Lane (CO10 2AN) this Thursday, 13 August, at 9am. They include Simon Snell (Coordinator for Christian Aid in Suffolk), John Boardman (Minister, St John’s Methodist Church, Sudbury) and Judith & Matthew Gill (daughter and son of Simon Gill, vicar of All Saints, Sudbury). If you are able, do come and cheer them on their way.

The amount raised will again be quadrupled by the EU and this year will go to a Christian Aid project in Central America, “Empowering women and girls”, to help marginalised women and girls in El Salvador and Honduras to secure their rights. See the latest update on the project.

Any of the participants will be glad to receive sponsorship, or you can donate online via www.justgiving.com/John-Boardman4.

The Community Partnership Project is an innovative 4 year programme to work with indigenous women and girls in El Salvador and Honduras to improve their maternal and sexual health. Our partners will train traditional birth attendants to provide healthcare, including family planning and dealing, and they will ensure that women are safer in pregnancy and birth, and that contraceptive supplies are readily available. Community Health Workers will also support and educate women and girls affected by or at risk of HIV or gender-based violence. The great news is that the EU match-funds all donations for £3 for each £1 given, so a donation of £10 becomes worth £40.

Simon Snell says “in the UK, we believe we have the right to access high quality health services, particularly before, during and after pregnancy. In these Central American countries, though, poor rural women either don’t have access to these health facilities, or are not welcomed there. By fundraising for this project, the Sudbury group will be helping to protect and educate more than 200,000 women and girls, and indirectly affect a further 566,000 through transformative health and education programmes in schools and local radio.”