The Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev Philip North, has thanked people across Lancashire for giving to his first Harvest Appeal, as the final total of more than £31,000 was announced this week.  

That total is nearly £10k more than last year and the highest for many years.  

The appeal raised funds for charity CRESS UK and, through that organisation, the funds will support the people of the Anglican Diocese of Liwolo in South Sudan; many of whom are currently living in exile in neighbouring Uganda.  

People in parishes and schools across the County have contributed to the overall total. To boost awareness of and donations for the appeal Bishop Philip led from the front by undertaking a 100k trek across Lancashire last summer, alongside his chaplain Rev. Sam Cheesman.  

Donations were further galvanised by fully embracing new technology. Digital giving, through online links or QR codes, tends to lead to larger donations than when people are restricted to using cash. The adoption of these new ways of giving made it easier and more convenient to respond.   

A key outcome of the fundraising will be the purchase of a vehicle for the Bishop of the Diocese of Liwolo – Bishop Joseph Aba. This will help him to travel quicker between the communities he serves, who are scattered across refugee camps along both sides of the South Sudan/Uganda border. Currently the Bishop uses a bike for most of his travel needs. 

Meanwhile, money raised by our schools will purchase fruit trees for planting, to support communities economically but also environmentally as the trees are good for nurturing the soil.  

Writing this week to parishes and schools across the County, Bishop Philip said: “Thank you for the amazing response to the Harvest Appeal. This is an extraordinary achievement and I simply could not be more thrilled.  

“Bishop Joseph is a man who is on fire with his love for Jesus Christ and who is doing an extraordinary work in rebuilding a diocese and a nation that has been shattered by a terrible civil war.  

“Thanks to the wonders of WhatsApp, I hear from Bishop Joseph often and he is now travelling regularly between the refugee camps of northern Uganda to his Diocese in South Sudan. Our support will make a transformative difference to this precious and dangerous ministry and will support some of the poorest people in the world.” 

And speaking from Diocese of Liwolo this week, Bishop Joseph added: "The news of this total raised by the people of the churches and schools of Blackburn Diocese has uplifted our souls here.  

"Our hearts burst into praises with thankfulness to a faithful God; providing for His work here through His loving people in Lancashire. I am grateful to everyone who has contributed and I hope to return one day to your County to thank you all in person." 

Meanwhile Caroline Lamb, Founder and CEO of the charity CRESS, added: “CRESS is delighted to see the wonderful result of Bishop Philip’s harvest appeal and congratulates the whole of Blackburn Diocese on this fantastic total.” 

It was in summer 2022, while attending the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference in Canterbury alongside hundreds of Bishops from around the world, that Bishop Philip met Bishop Joseph. 

Bishop Joseph’s Diocese is in the southern part of South Sudan. Just two days after he was elected Bishop, his diocese was caught up in a destructive civil war and he had to lead his people into exile.  

Then, in March 2023, Bishop Joseph was invited to Lancashire by Bishop Philip to share his story in person with people of all ages.  

While in our Diocese, Bishop Joseph was welcomed in many schools and churches and met people from all walks of life. The whole visit led to the establishment of a ‘friendship link’ between our two dioceses … and the subsequent fundraising.

Captions for above pictures, top to bottom:

Pic 1 - Bishop Philip and Bishop Joseph together during the March 2023 visit to Lancashire 

Pic 2 - Bishop Philip and his chaplain, Rev. Sam Cheesman on their 100k walk 

Pic 3 - CRESS UK logo 

Pic 4 - An agricultural officer demonstrates the planting of trees to people from the Diocese of Liwolo 

Ronnie Semley, January 2024