3 April – Reading – Sleep-out for refugees

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“On 3rd April stand in solidarity with refugees by lying down. Sign up and join our  [Refugee Support Group’s] CEO, Nick Harborne, for a night under the stars at the Abbey Ruins.

Contact fundraising@rrsg.org.uk for more information or Click here to sign up:

For many refugees, their journey to safety can end not with security but with sleeping on the street. After surviving unimaginable challenges, they face the harsh reality of homelessness— a crisis that has risen by 99% in the last 12 months alone.

The problem is mostly due to the restricted time-frame of 7-28 days given to refugees once their status has been approved.

With so little time available to secure work and a new home, an increasing amount of refugees are finding themselves destitute. At Refugee Support Group, we are working tirelessly to change this reality. We have partnered with Reading Borough Council on a homeless project to support individuals with no recourse to public funding, such as refugees. Together, we are helping them transition from the streets and into safe spaces.

This outdoor event is an opportunity for you to make a difference. Please sign up today and help us raise awareness about this crisis. Fundraising will go towards RSG’s vital services.

Services like our drop-in centres. Our three drop-in centers offer a warm, safe space where refugees and asylum seekers can find refreshments, vital support, solidarity, and guidance. In the last two years, approx. 4000 clients attended our weekly drop-ins.”

27 April – Charlbury – CRAG Tea Concert

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“CRAG is delighted to welcome back two wonderful seasoned CRAG artistes – the violinist Alison Bury, and harpsichordist Maggie Cole, who is returning for her fifth CRAG concert! They will be basing their hour-long programme around 2 masterpieces by J.S. Bach – drawn from his fabulous set of accompanied sonatas for violin and harpsichord.

CRAG’s Sunday Tea Concerts are held in the Memorial Hall, Browns Lane, Charlbury at 3pm.

The music lasts approximately one hour and is always followed by complimentary tea and CRAG’s legendary homemade cake.

Tickets£17: ALL PROCEEDS TO REFUGEE RELIEF

Season of Creation

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Season of Creation takes place every year from 1 September to 4 October. Find resources for prayer and action here.

Season of Creation Resources

Season of Creation official resources

Includes the official celebration resource and links to a variety of denominational resources.

Ecumenical Prayer Service for Creation Day (1 September)

Watch on YouTube, live or later

CTBI website with links to resources

Links to Season of Creation and EcoCongregation Scotland materials.

Anglican Communion Environmental Network resources

Resources for Churches: General Election 2024

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After months of speculation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for the 4th of July.

As the nation prepares to vote, Christians are called to reflect on the choices before us, to help ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote can do so, to promote the dissemination of accurate information, and to pray for the candidates, voters, and process.

Churches and Christian agencies/groups are offering resources to assist with this, including:

 

Guidelines for preparing food to share

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Guidelines for preparing food to share

Thank you so much for being willing to bring food for our Refugee Week event.

Because of Food Safety rules in the UK, please remember:

  1. Recent illness

 

If you have suffered from a condition or disease that can be transmitted to another person via food, please leave 48 hours after the last symptom before cooking for us.

 

  1. Personal and Kitchen Hygiene

 

When you cook, it’s important to:

  • wash hands thoroughly before beginning,
  • make sure that all your surfaces and equipment are freshly cleaned (using disinfectant/antibacterial cleaner on work surfaces, if possible),
  • use a separate chopping board and knife for any raw meat/fish, and
  • If you need to use a cloth, use a fresh tea towel or some kitchen roll.

We’d recommend using an apron to protect your clothes and the food, and rolling up sleeves, taking off any jewellery, and tying back hair.

If you have pets, we’d suggest they stay out of the kitchen while you’re cooking!

  1. Cooling and Storing Food

Once food has been cooked, try to cool it as quickly as possible. If you’re storing it, make sure it’s stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Please be particularly careful with meat, fish, dairy, and rice.

 

Rice that is going to be eaten later, hot or cold, must be cooled quickly and stored in the refrigerator or freezer (this includes rice salads). If you are going to reheat rice, make sure that it is steaming hot (75 degrees Celsius) before you serve. There are full guidelines on handling rice safely here.

 

  1. Allergens

Please provide a list of all ingredients used. This helps people with allergies stay safe and makes it easy for people with religious or other food restrictions to work out what they can and can’t eat.

Pennsylvania Dutch Dumplings

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In Pennsylvania Dutch culture, these  are known as ‘knepp’ and are often eaten in schnitz un knepp, a meal of smoked ham, dried apples, and dumplings. They’d go well with other dishes, too. This is a recipe that was written down in the late 19th/early 20th century … and is hence a little short on instructions. If you’d like a more modern recipe, go here.

Ingredients:

1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
Salt to taste
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
Parsley chopped fine – to taste, but not more than 1 Tbsp

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In a jug, beat egg and mix with milk. Add ingredients to each other, stir in parsley.

Drop spoonfuls of the knepp mixture into boiling liquid (stew, broth, etc) and cook for 12 minutes.

Take 1 egg, beaten with a fork, a little milk (3 Tbsp), some salt and some parsley, and 2 tsp baking powder and 1 cup flour. Mix flour and baking powder, mix milk and egg, and then mix all together. Drop the knepp on top in spoonfuls and cook for 12 minutes.

Pennsylvania Dutch Pork and Sauerkraut

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These are old family recipes that were written down in the late 19th/early 20th century, when instructions were a little less precise than they are now! We’ve put in quantities for the main dish – but for the mashed potatoes use whatever recipe you normally use … just be sure that they are solid enough to soak up the sauerkraut juice.

Ingredients:

2.5 to 3 lb pork loin or shoulder
Water
Sauerkraut (2 cans/bottles/pouches)
Salt
Pepper
Sugar (1 to 2 tsp to taste)
Carraway seeds (if desired – less than 1 tsp)

Take the pork and trim off most of the fat. Put the meat in water to about half cover and a small amount of salt (the sauerkraut will add more) and boil it for about 45 minutes.

Add the sauerkraut in with a dash of pepper and the sugar. If you need more salt, you can add that later. Many people put in a wee little bit (less than a tsp) of carraway seeds.

Boil the meal for two hours.

While it’s boiling, take some potatoes and peel them and boil and mash them – you can add butter, milk, etc, but it’s better to keep them fairly stiff as the sauerkraut and pork will have a lot of juice.

Then put on the plate a layer of potato, a layer of sauerkraut and the pork beside it.

German Apple Cake

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German Apple Cake

 

Ingredients

Base

250g     plain flour
70g        sugar
1             pinch of salt
120g     margarine
1             large egg

Topping

1kg        apples
2 tbsp   lemon juice
2             egg yolks
100g     sugar
2             egg whites
2 tbsp   self-raising flour
200g     ground almonds

Method

  1. Prepare the topping of the cake:
  • Peel, quarter and remove the cores of the apples, then sprinkle them with lemon juice
  • Beat the egg yolks with the sugar. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and white and add the two together. Stir into the mixture the self-raising flour and ground almonds
  1. Prepare the cake base:
  • Mix the flour, sugar and salt.
  • Add the margarine in small flakes and mix well
  • Add the beaten egg and knead to a smooth dough
  1. Roll out the dough and lay it into a greased, round 28cm diameter cake tin. Bake the base in a pre-heated oven at 225°C for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the tin from the oven. Spread the topping mixture onto the pre-baked cake base and arrange the apple pieces on top, pushing them down into the mixture a little.
  3. Bake the cake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 45 minutes.

 

Ghanaian Red-Red Stew

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Red-Red stew from Ghana

NOTES: This bean stew should be made with red palm oil from West African. However, it can be made with olive oil instead.

If you want a red oil, set some oil over low heat and drop in a few annatto seeds, or, if you like things spicy, some dried red chiles. Let them sizzle gently a few seconds, then take the oil off the heat and let it steep overnight. Result? Red oil.

Typically, it is served with fried plantains, but it can be served with white rice.

Ingredients

For 8 to 12 people:

  • 6 400g cans of black-eyed beans (drained)
  • 6 tablespoons cup red palm oil, or substitute (see above)
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • A thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chillis, minced (this will make the stew quite spicy) – adjust as required
  • 2 to 6 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 8 to 12 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups / 450 ml tomato passata
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  • In a pan, heat the palm oil over medium heat.
  • When it’s hot, sauté the onions for about 3 minutes, then add the Scotch bonnet/ chilli. Sauté for another minute or three. Stir in the cayenne and the curry powder, then the chopped fresh tomatoes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and the black-eyed beans. Stir well to combine and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with fried plantains or simple white rice.

Home Recipes

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Whether you’re from the UK, have lived abroad, or are from a different country, there’s probably some food which says “home” for you. Here are some recipes which people have contributed from their home. Enjoy!

 

German Apple Cake

Ghanaian Red-Red Stew

Pennsylvania Dutch Pork and Sauerkraut

Pennsylvania Dutch Dumplings (great in a veggie or meat stew)