National Charity Acts 435 sees the most generous day of giving since it launched its unique giving platform in 2010.

PRESS RELEASE: National Charity Acts 435 sees the most generous day of giving since it launched its unique giving platform in 2010.

Acts 435 is a national online giving charity that connects those that want to help with those that have a genuine need by resourcing a network of churches and local charities throughout the UK.

During the course of 24 hours over 550 new donors found out about the work of Acts 435 and went onto the website to give directly to meet the specific need of an individual or family, all giving what they were able. In total they collectively gave an astonishing £29,960 towards the needs of 187 individuals and families.

The charity was featured by Stewardship, a charity that facilitates Christian giving, in their online Lent resource, 40acts. The resource is intended to encourage Christians by providing a reflection from one of their partner charities, and a challenge to carry out an act of generosity. Acts 435 provided a reflection on Friday 7th March, with one of the action challenges being to give to a need on the Acts 435 website.

Recipients of the Lent email received it around 6am, and immediately the charity saw people accessing their website to donate toward the specific needs of individuals. One of the 187 needs that were met was for James* who is living on a houseboat, and who has been unable to work due to health problems. His boat was recently flooded and he lost his mattress and bedding. Thanks to six individual donors, each giving what they could on 7th March, the cost of replacing these was met. The local Advocate told James that he would be able to purchase a new mattress and bedding, and James then said to the donors:

“Thank you for your help. I have been sleeping on a bare wooden bunk for the last few weeks, but now I will be able to replace all my ruined bedding. I am very grateful for your support.”

Jenny Herrera, Executive Director of Acts 435 said:

“We were blown away by the incredible generosity of individuals who wanted to give directly to meet the needs of those in poverty or facing crisis. We want to thank the extraordinary #40acts community who responded to Stewardship’s invitation on 7th March to come together and clear our site of all live requests”

Acts 435 is a free resource for churches and charities across the UK and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. A similar campaign in 2018 through its partnership with Stewardship raised over £18,000 but it is testament to the compassion and generosity of people that this record was far exceeded this year.

*name changed for confidentiality

*END*

You can read the reflection from 7th March: www.stewardship.org.uk/blogs/act-340-provision

Contact: Katie Greene, Communications Director, Acts 435, kgreene@acts435.org.uk