Legacy Giving

Talking about money can be awkward. Pair it with the topic of death, and you’ve got a conversation most of us would rather avoid altogether! But this is a conversation worth having. So hold onto your hats, because we’re about to delve into the world of Legacy Giving!

Legacy Giving – leaving a gift to charity in your Will – might not be something you’ve ever thought about but it's becoming increasingly common. According to Remember A Charity, more than one in five charity donors aged 40 and over (21%) say they’ve included a charitable gift in their Will. That’s up from just 14% in 2010. Meanwhile, fewer people are ruling it out – just 9%, down from 13% in 2010.

And it’s not just something to consider later in life. The average age of those writing a Will in the UK is 51. People are thinking about these things earlier than we might assume. The coming years are also set to see what economists are calling the Great Wealth Transfer – an unprecedented passing down of trillions of pounds from one generation to the next. This changing financial landscape opens the door for deeper conversations about what we leave behind.

That’s where Hands at Work in Africa comes in. For small charities like ours, legacy gifts aren’t just helpful – they can make a vital difference to the vulnerable communities we serve. They can be the reason a Care Worker continues to visit children each week, assessing their home situation and safety. They can mean the three essential services – food, access to education and basic health care – continue uninterrupted, alongside belonging and dignity for a child who might otherwise be forgotten.

If you know Hands at Work well, you already know the power of this model. You’ve seen communities transformed through the faithful, day-in, day-out love of local volunteer Care Workers. For those of you who are newer to our work, I invite you to find out more and become a part of something bigger – of God’s Kingdom on Earth.

In a world of plenty, no child should go hungry. We defy the voices that say the problem is too big and there’s nothing we can do. What we do with what we have – big or small – can have a lasting impact. So, we invite you: will you consider leaving a legacy gift to Hands at Work and, in doing so, continue to be a part of re-writing the story for good?

Bringing hope to the world starts with us.

Link for Life team in South Africa

The Link for Life Project is a church and community initiative which was established in 2010 by local churches in Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay. Now working across the Lichfield Diocese, the Project connects schools, churches and the wider community to support the work of three Christian, non-profit organisations in Southern Africa – including Hands at Work.

From 15th February–1st March a team of seven students from Wolgarston High School in Staffordshire (Eve, Jessica, Stella, Erin, Eleanor, Isabelle and Isabelle) and five adult leaders (Mike (Wolgarston Teacher), Tony & Richard (both from St Anne’s Church, Chasetown), Paula (Chasetown Community School) and Molly (Link for Life leader)) visited the community of Mafambisa in South Africa. The school has partnered with the community for several years.

Mafambisa is a small town where Khetiwe and a team of six Care Workers currently care for 70 children. Many of these children are refugees from neighbouring countries and do not have identity documents, which limits their access to government support, grants and schooling. Amidst these and other challenges the Care Point provides a place of safety, love and dignity – reminding each child that they matter.

During their visit, the team wrote daily blog posts reflecting on their experiences at the Care Points and during Holy Home Visits. You can read their reflections here.

Introducing Chilando

On Tuesday 1st April, Hands at Work began serving in a new community called Chilando, which is situated in a rural, farming area in Kabwe, Zambia. This community will be supported by Hands at Work UK.

Seven brand new Care Workers from the local church, supported by the Hands at Work Regional Support and Service Centre teams, gathered to collect water and prepare a meal, the first provision of the 3 Essential Services of food, education and health care.

By midday, children were arriving and, in total, 36 out of the 50 registered joined, alongside the Care Workers and several Primary Caregivers, who came to witness the launch of the feeding programme.

It was a joyful sight to see the children enjoying a nutritious plate of kapenta (small dried fish), vegetables and nshima. After the meal the Care Workers took part in a Relationship Group and reflected on the day’s activities.

Relationship Groups are safe and trustworthy spaces where the Care Workers can share their struggles and joys. They offer profound healing, understanding and support to the Care Workers, who are often dealing with their own brokenness and trauma, so that they can themselves become catalysts of change, sharing what they have learned with the children they serve.

In the coming days, more children are expected to attend Chilando, and Xolani, member of the Zambia Regional Support Team, shared that the sense of ownership from the local community and church has been incredibly encouraging.

Over the coming months, Hands at Work is looking to establish the infrastructure that will provide a consistent and safe centre in which to care for the children. This begins with obtaining a piece of land to establish a new Care Point, and then building structures such as the main building, a cooking shelter, toilets and storage.

We give thanks to God for this opportunity to bring essential care to vulnerable children in Chilando. Please join us in praying for this new community!

You can read more about the Hands at Work in Africa model of care here.