Charities


Photo shows Andrew Mitchell, chair of the Charities Group and quizmaster, addressing the Charity Quiz Night, October 13th 2023

A very successful Sparkling Vintage Affair indeed – The Chiswick Calendar. See the slideshow of photographs
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We give time, energy and money to help good causes here and overseas.

St Michael and All Angels Church and members of its congregation support three chosen charities, each for a period of three years – by raising money, volunteering and promoting their causes. Our 2023-2024 charities are: The Upper Room, Swinfen Telemedicine and Crosslight Chiswick. We also supported as our Lent charity the Hogarth Youth Trust, which provides services to young people in Chiswick.

  • The Upper Room is a front-line charity working with socially and economically disadvantaged people in West London. It works with people who are experiencing homelessness – including those at risk of homelessness. Providing 26,000 meals a year, as well as clothing and toiletries, the Upper Room offers a safe and warm environment in the short-term, while providing support to help people rebuild their lives in the long-term. We host some of The Upper Room Spring Lectures in St Michael & All Angels Church – last year with Clare Balding, Michael Frayn and Jeremy Paxman, interviewed by Torin Douglas, this year with Dame Sheila Hancock and Jeremy Vine.
  • Crosslight Chiswick is our newest charity – the Chiswick branch of Crosslight Advice which provides face-to-face debt advice, together with money education and budgeting support to individuals and families in need. It is based at St Nicholas Church W4, who provide office space and support, with a ready pool of willing volunteers as well as vital pastoral support and access to other community services.
  • Swinfen Telemedicine (Swinfen Charitable Trust) was our overseas charity till earlier this year. It facilitates access to specialist medical expertise for doctors and nurses working in remote regions of the world. On a pro bono basis and using virtual technologies, the disciplinary experts are able to advise those on the ground on treatment options for any health issues needing further specialist knowledge. Our funding, over three years,  will allow Swinfen to upgrade its App and maintain its technology platforms, facilitating broader reach and more effective (and reliable) communications with medics on the front line.


Photo shows Andrew Mitchell, chair of St Michael & All Angels Charities Group on Charities Sunday, October 15th 2023, with representatives of our three charities.
Left to right: Janie Pickard (Swinfen Telemedicine), Nick Lines (Chiswick Crosslight), Andrew Mitchell, Michelle Rooney (Chiswick Crosslight), Katherine Davies (Swinfen Telemedicine), Chris Pickard (Swinfen Telemedicine)  and Simon Tuke (The Upper Room)

Fundraising events for our three charities usually include the Bedford Park Festival in June, including the charities stall on Green Days weekend; Charities Sunday in the autumn; the Charity Quiz Night in October (or equivalent event); and our Christmas Charity Appeal, with carol-singing at Turnham Green tube station. In 2022, we also held a Wine Tasting event. We get great support for our charities from local businesses, who sponsor the Bedford Park Festival and provide matched-funding, and in particular Bown Design & Build, who for several years organised an annual concert for our charities. We hold separate events for our Lent Appeal charity (including Lent lunches).

We also support charities through Christian Aid Week in May, the Chiswick Book Festival in September and the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in November. We used to run a Cards for Good Causes shop in the run-up to Christmas but CFCG no longer support a shop in Chiswick.

In 2022, we raised over £30,000 for outside charities…

Our three 2022 charities were The Upper Room, West London Welcome and Swinfen Telemedicine. We also supported DABAL (Deaf And Blind Aid Lanka) as our Lent charity and raised further sums for St Michael & All Angels Church (PCC) and St Michael & All Angels Bedford Park Trust, which are themselves charities.
Read more: Charity giving in 2022.

In 2021, we raised over £20,000 for charities – and unlocked more for them in matched funding. Read more here
In 2020, we raised over £18,600 Read more here
In 2019, unhampered by the pandemic, we raised over £41,000. Read more here

If you would like to find out more about how get involved, please contact the charities group via the Parish Office.

Photo: The Upper Room provides 26,000 meals a year for the homeless and disadvantaged in West London (above)