Clarissa Poulson and Kate Elliott from St Michael’s Southfields share how their church put the fun into fundraising through an annual dinner and auction called Mission Possible!
What inspired the congregation to support CSW?
St Michael’s had been supporting organisations who were doing great developmental and humanitarian work in different countries for many years.
However, we were also very aware of the extremely difficult situation facing so many fellow believers simply because of their faith, and decided that we must also support this important aspect of Kingdom work. We did some research into a few organisations and chose to partner with CSW: we were impressed by their vision and track record over many years.
How did the idea of a Mission Possible fundraiser come about?
Inspired by going to an NSPCC fundraising event, we decided to try a fundraising evening specifically for the charities we support. When we started it, in 2012, budgets were feeling squeezed, and we wanted to maintain our giving to these great causes.
How do you and the team motivate so many people to get involved?
We started on a slightly smaller scale, drawing people in with a quiz, but fairly quickly that stopped being the focus of the event, and it was recognised as an annual diary fixture to raise money over a meal and auction. We have been blessed with many people who are immensely generous with their time. We have consistently raised more than £20,000 for charities over the last few years, including two years in lockdown when we hosted the events online.
What do you enjoy the most about organising Mission Possible?
When the committee meets there's a real sense of achievement, knowing we're planning to raise substantial funds for CSW and the other charities. We have built strong relationships with each charity, who report back each year on the valuable work they are doing. It's also a lovely way to thank the charity representatives by inviting them to join us.
What would you say to other churches that would like to organise a similar event?
I would definitely encourage other churches wanting to hold a focused evening of fundraising. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown not only by members of our community, but friends and guests from further afield, as well as many local businesses which support the evening with all sorts of generous gifts that are sold through the auction.
Get involved
Visit csw.org.uk/foodyfundraiser to download a fundraising pack. There’s lots of ideas, ranging from a tea or coffee morning to a hosted dinner. Whatever you raise will make a difference to people facing injustice for their faith around the world.