Oxfam in Stert Street Abingdon have not only reopened, they also have a new facebook page. On it they say after discovering some hidden gems at Abingdon Oxfam, why not treat yourself to a milkshake, grab that much needed haircut, stock up on art supplies + gourmet food + find your dream door, also in Stert Street.

Oxfam are looking for donations, and to gain some new volunteers. Not everybody could return on reopening.

Volunteers help to sort and sell the donations in order to raise as much money as possible for Oxfam’s vital work around the world. They also sometimes need specialised knowledge such as valuing stamp donations.

Fund raising in more difficult in these times. In 2019 the Lions made over £4,000 taking round their Santa Sledge. The Virtual Santa in 2020 made £195.

The Lions donated £170 to The Stonehill Community Garden to help them set up a 7,000-litre water tank to allow them to use rainwater alone for their garden. Some of the lions volunteer with garden, and they have donated items before.

The Lions donated items for the Abingdon Foodbank. The foodbank said in February that demand at the Foodbank is still high and they were  looking for: tinned meat to make hot meals (mince, stew, meatballs), instant coffee, and also plain couscous.

The Lions kicked off their Easter fund raiser, knitted Easter Chicks with cream eggs. They have had nearly 200 chicks donated so far, some with cream eggs. Tesco Extra Abingdon has also kindly donated some cream eggs. Covid has meant that they have had to try new ways of selling them, and are currently use facebook to sell them at £2 each.

Other items they donated included:
• £50 for Kennington Playgroup to help them buy a fog cleaning machine.
• £314 for a powerful blender for a family that needs it due to a medical condition.
• A promise the support a family to buy a car safety harness, once covid allows.

The usual choice of two guided walks did not happen this new year’s day. Neither the Boundary Walk or Christian Aid Walk went ahead as a large group walk.

I did see two Christian Aid walk leaders checking the churches had put up their poster – with a Letter. The Church-In-Abingdon (CiA) Christian Aid Walk 2021 is ‘self-directed’ this year and can be done anytime during January. The aim is to visit 9 CiA churches and find a single letter at each church to make an anagram of a word connected with the Christian Aid’s Christmas Appeal. Participants will be asked for the ‘word’ they have found. Sponsors are invited to make a donation via the Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abingdon-christianaid-walk2021or838.

At the church where I found the letter ‘H’, I also saw a bush called ‘Euonymus hamiltonianus’ or ‘Winged Spindle Tree’. It still has a few leaves and many capsules which have split open to reveal orange berries.