International Centenary Challenge

To mark the Centenary we have partnered with God's Golden Acre, a charity working in the KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa. The project includes:

• Sending 100 Senior Section members to join in the work at God's Golden Acre.

• The KZN Passport which challenges members to raise money for the Houses of Hope project.

• A resource called ‘Girls in the Know' which teaches members of all ages about HIV and AIDS

God's Golden Acre - Early History

The story began when a South African woman, Heather Reynolds, who was visiting a neighbouring country, came across a remote village. A baby's cry was heard from one of the huts. Inquiring of her local companion she found out the child was one of a dozen or so left behind as their parents had died of AIDS to look after themselves.

Back in South Africa Heather researched the AIDS pandemic situation and quickly discovered that the situation would develop in the same way there The Reynolds family, consisting of Patrick, Heather and their two teenage children Brendan and Bronwen, opened up their home to the very sick and dying children in their area, and soon had 41 children in their home. This was the beginning of "God's Golden Acre."

They moved to their current home which Heather called God's Golden Acre, Cato Ridge, one hours drive from Durban, in the year 2000.

God's Golden Acre today

There are now some 92 children living with the Reynolds, with a proportional number of care-givers and volunteers.

 Their home is a place for the children to receive some schooling, and learn basic craft skills whilst being cared for in small unit foster families.  For a few, it is a place to die in dignity: held, cared for, sung over, loved, (even if briefly) rather than be left to die abandoned.

Money is spent developing the home. Volunteers built a new playground from local materials and a hospice was launched to provide better medical care for the growing number of children.

Read more -    The Centenary Challenge