Diocesan Press Release

Bishop of Woolwich Weighs Out

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 April 1999

The Bishop of Woolwich, the Rt Rev Colin Buchanan, weighed out at 14 stone 10 pounds after his sponsored slim during Lent. This means he lost 1 stone 8 pounds in the six and a half weeks since Ash Wednesday, 17 February, when he weighed in at 16 stone 4 pounds. He checked his weight again in the presence of a congregation at St Michael's, Lower Sydenham, on Easter Eve, Saturday 3 April.

The Bishop invited people to give between 5p and 25p for every pound he lost, and is now waiting to see how much he has raised for the Bishop of Southwark's Lent Call.

Lent Call is an appeal to the Diocese to raise funds for charities at home and overseas, mainly supporting deprived children.

This year's five charities are:

BibleLands, supporting children and young people in the Middle East through the provision of health and education services

AIDS protection packs for African Hospitals, a project from USPG (the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel)

a project in the Chuadanga District of Bangladesh, to train and equip 200 traditional birth attendants and midwives; five doctors and twenty health workers.

Camberwell Choir School, providing out of school music tuition in an area of recognised social deprivation

Building St David’s Church, Nketa, Bulawayo

Ends.