Fulwood 'Christian Aid' Diamonds

Presentation to Joyce & Allan Clarke

for over 50 years collecting

Why are you nominating your Diamond?

When I arrived at Fulwood Methodist Church in Preston in 1992, Joyce & Allan Clarke were already legends in the church in all sorts of ways, but in particular for me it is their lifelong commitment to Christian Aid that stands out. According to their daughter, Judith, they have been involved in collecting for Christian Aid as long as she can remember - dating back to the sixties. She remembers them counting the money too on the dining room table. They were the local Fulwood & Broughton organisers for several years, ordering and distributing envelopes and materials and counting for the then 8 churches (raising up to £10,000 at one time). Joyce was for many years the secretary of the wider Preston group, in the days of former staff members John Logan and Ben Humphries and more recently alongside Ruth Platt, while Allan latterly served as treasurer of this group. They ran Lent lunches at the church for a number of years to raise money for Christian Aid, as well as promoting many other initiatives, and have always taken the opportunity to learn more about the lives of their neighbours overseas. And during all those years they have faithfully delivered and collected envelopes for the annual house-to-house collection, up to and including this year - though Allan has just turned 95.

Anne Garsed

Fulwood Christian Aid organiser

14 May 2017