In May 1987, the church meeting approved the principle of holding a Third World Project.  This was the first of what was to become an annual event in the church calendar, and in 1987 led by Rev. Ivor Rees the first project to support a Tea Plantation in Sri Lanka was launched.

Over time the third world project evolved into the Church in the World Group which incorporates fundraising and supporting local and global projects such as Christian Aid, Traidcraft, Food banks, Shoe Box appeal and RADAR (Rochdale Action with Destitute Asylum seekers and Refugees).

The project brings together young and old to learn how we can help others and in doing so we learn about other countries, cultures, religions and the difficulties people face. We want to raise awareness in our congregation about the plight of our fellow man across the world. We hope to show how we care for others and share the love of God.

List of Projects

2024 

Information about our next project will be released in Spring 2024, fundraising events will begin in 2024. 

2023  Egypt Embrace the Middle East, empowering women

We raised £4,442 for girls and women in Egypt with the aim of supporting women with literacy, leadership training and life skills such as sewing.  

Think and Do Life School - Upper Minya, West Menuphia. This is aimed at women who missed out on education. Classes include: reading, writing, maths, awareness class on parenting challenging traditional values and encouraging modern techniques, communication, sewing, hairdressing and cooking on a budget. 2016 life school 60 students, 8.30am-1pm work on agriculture too. Range of ages 15-55 none been to school before. The women have been asked; why did you come? They responded: we wanted to learn, to read bible, to understand their prescriptions, to collect their pension, to help their children with school work. They have about 180 women/year across 3 villages.

Anaphora Leadership Training- West Menuphia. Soteria is a retreat created and led by a Coptic Bishop Thomas, where groups of 20 Christian women, stay for 1 week and explore their experiences as women and discover their potential, they all have some form of trauma but they can heal here. Then in another week they learn a vocational skill to take home (weaving and candles). There are coaches who are women from previous groups, each coach is responsible for 3-4 villages and they check up on them when they go back home. Big team that will succeed Bishop Thomas and keep the Centre going, and continue his vision beyond. Cohorts are 20-25 people, last year about 160 women, the ripple effect on the communities and children.

2022  No Project 

2021  Malawi  School Library 

Thanks to the £5,392 we raised, Medic Malawi have now been able to complete the two classrooms at Chalizya School by fitting concrete floors and blackboards. They also completed a head teachers office, staff room, library, school store and installed ramps and paths around the building. Tom visited the project and he said it was great to see the community coming together to support the project. The school committee, teachers and village chiefs were so grateful for the support and did an excellent job of helping deliver the successful project. 

2020  Kiribati  School equipment for children with disabilities  

We raised £5,753.88 for essential equipment such as photocopier, crafts, 30 electronic tablets for deaf children, braille machine, braille books, adaptive cutlery, cooking utensils and carpentry tools. The funds we raised will be vital to support the school purchasing the things they need. The money we raised equaled 10,000.00 dollars, which has meant that alongside the equipment the school was also able to use some money to help establish another vital building for students.