Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, recently met constituents at St Mark’s, Barnet Vale, to support the church’s ‘Box Opening’ event in aid of The Children’s Society. Theresa was welcomed by the vicar of St Mark’s, the Rev Tristan Chapman, who is a supporter of the scheme.
The Children’s Society, a UK-based charity that supports vulnerable young people, encourages individuals to collect money through taking a ‘charity box’: a donation box kept at work or at home where people can give to charity through dropping off their loose change day-to-day. ‘Box holders’ are part of ‘box networks’, which gather the supporters together once or twice a year to send the collected funds back to The Children’s Society.
The charity estimates that 90,000 people in 5,000 networks across the country have a charity box, and that some networks can generate over £25,000 in their lifetime.
The Box Opening is a regular event at St Marks, happening twice a year. The church collects the money gathered by parishioners taking part in the scheme and volunteers count the amount raised, followed by an afternoon tea with a guest speaker. Addressing the event, Theresa spoke about life in Parliament, her work on the backbenches and her previous role in Cabinet. Of the various campaigns she supports, Theresa chose to share some of her thoughts on the plight of the persecuted church. Many Christians around the world face intimidation and violence and Theresa has been working with other MPs to try to raise awareness of this problem and to campaign for freedom of religion.
Theresa Villiers said: “One of the best aspects of being an MP is meeting constituents involved in raising money for good causes. It is always inspiring to see how many people in Barnet are determined to help others less fortunate than themselves. I felt privileged to come to St Marks to support the work they do to help vulnerable children through the Children’s Society. It was great to meet the congregation and answer their questions about life in Parliament.”
Charlotte Botham, a parishioner at St Marks, said “The church has done this for a long time, and it’s a way for people to donate to charity as part of their daily lives. It’s really nice to have our speakers as it makes it a nice event and encourages people who don’t have a box to start one.”