Christian Aid Week 2021

Christian Aid Week 2021 runs from 10 – 16 May.

We won’t be able to do our usual fund-raising for Christian Aid Week at Cumbernauld Old this year, no house-to-house collections or envelopes left on pews or available to hand onto neighbours, but just as the work of Christian Aid hasn’t stopped throughout the Covid-19 pandemic neither has the need for its work to be supported. In fact, that need becomes greater as more people are pushed into hardship

In the words of Christian Aid themselves:

This climate crisis hurts us all. But people living in poverty fight the worst of it every day.
From drought to flooding, climate change robs people of control over their lives. Extreme weather means people in the poorest communities are struggling to survive without a reliable source of water.
Your gift could help a community build an earth dam, so when the rains do come, they will have the water they need to live. A reliable source of water will help families withstand long drought or relentless rainstorms.
Every envelope. Every gift. Every challenge can change lives.

No envelope? No problem!
What we have done is create an e-giving page, a place where you can donate to Christian Aid under the ‘banner’ of Cumbernauld Old Parish Church. Just click here or on the logo below to find out more and to donate. Thank you very much for your support. It is greatly appreciated!

Easter fund-raiser!

The knitters at Cumbernauld Old are busy again and this time are making a variety of Items for Easter – chickens, rabbits, ducks, hedgehogs, mice, bumblebees and ladybirds, all containing either a Cadbury’s Creme Egg® or a Cadbury’s Caramel Egg®.
Each comes in a cellophane bag – a bargain for an Easter surprise at £1.
There are also some beehives covering a Terry’s Chocolate Orange® and they cost £3.

If you would like to order one (or more!) please let us know here or by phoning Elizabeth on (01236) 726451. Your support makes a difference to Cumbernauld Old, so thank-you very much!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Like many things this year, the annual Gift Service at Cumbernauld Old Parish Church was a bit different in that it was online.

What didn’t change was the response. The compassion and generosity of all who contributed was wonderful to behold. A great array of children’s toys & books, gifts for all ages and festive foods – not forgetting a selection of Cumbernauld Old’s very own chocolate orange Santa hats. If that were not enough, over £500 was donated in cash too.

All of the above has now been safely transported to Bethlehem House of Bread at Cornerstone who will distribute them on our behalf. The cash can be used to buy fresh items or gift vouchers for those in need – and there are many, including around 240 children who will benefit from your thoughtfulness.

So once again. a heartfelt thank you for the unwavering support of the food bank, especially in these strange and troubled times. Your kindness will indeed bring tidings of comfort and joy.

A safe & peaceful Christmas from all at the food bank

Kirkyard Clean-up

The group currently surveying, photographing and cataloguing the gravestones surrounding Cumbernauld Old Parish Church plan to have a tidy-up session of the kirkyard on Saturday 13th April from 10.30am onwards (i.e. for as long as we feel up for it!)

In consultation with North Lanarkshire Council grounds department, we hope to gather up the leaf litter, cut back the overgrown trees and remove some of the obtrusive, damaging ivy. Just for the avoidance of doubt: we will NOT be touching the stones themselves – just the grounds around them.

We would love more volunteers to help, so if you can spare even half-an-hour on 13th April. please come along. We’re offering tea, coffee and cake as a bribe (sorry, an ‘incentive’).

Fundraising update

The fundraising group at Cumbernauld Old Parish Church would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Hamper Raffle and Tombola at the BB Carol Concert and everyone who helped to make or bought the Christmas crafts.

The Santa hats, Christmas puddings and stockings were all beautifully made and will hopefully be back next year.

Thanks to your support we were able to raise £441 for the church from the raffle, tombola and Christmas crafts.

We look forward to your continued support next year both throughout our ongoing Cumbernauld Old Smart Savers Smarties tubes and a variety of events throughout the year. Thanks to eveyone, once again!

More poppies needed!

Cumbernauld Old Parish Church has been thrilled by the number of knitted poppies handed in so far for our Remembrance project. However, although we have received about 9,000 poppies to date, we still need more.

We are currently in the process of attaching the poppies to the cargo netting and we don’t quite have enough to complete our display. So we’re asking whether people could please just do a few more and hand them in. We can then finish the sewing-on of the poppies.

Also, for those who have been knitting the poppies and sewing them on, we are having a film crew from Reporting Scotland coming to the Church on Friday 26th October at 2pm. They’re doing a feature on WW1 remembrance. All those who have knitted, crocheted or sewed the poppies are invited to come along to the Church, knitting needles and crochet hooks in hand, so we have a really good turn out for the film crew.

Thank you!

Cumbernauld Old Poppy Project

The fixing of the poppies to create the Remembrance ‘waterfall’ at Cumbernauld Old Parish Church is going on at a fair pace and the panels are looking fantastic (see slideshow below). Elizabeth would like to thank to all the ladies who came to the two sessions last week. The Session House was really buzzing with around 12 volunteers each day. There was a tremendous feeling of fellowship and a lot of laughter, not to mention the coffee and the biscuits!

There will be another three sessions next week and everyone is welcome to come along and add their contribution to the project. You don’t need to stay the full time, just pop in for as long or as short a time as you can manage. Next week’s session times are:

• Monday: 10am until 12 noon;
• Tuesday: 1pm until 3pm;
• Wednesday: 10am until 12 noon.

 

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1st Cumbernauld BB Annual Display

The 1st Cumbernauld Company of the Boys’ Brigade, attached to Cumbernauld Old Parish Church, are having their Annual Display and Awards Evening on Thursday 24th May in the Forge Community Hall, Balloch.

All are welcome to come along and support the boys, young men and leaders. The evening starts at 7.00pm and tea / coffee and home baking will be available, with the money raised being donated to Christian Aid.

Hope to see you there…