Wednesday 7th May 2008
AN Oxfordshire vicar is abandoning his church (for a while) to help homeless people.
The Revd Andrew Bunch, of St Giles and St Margaret’s Church, is making the pilgrimage from Rocesvalles to Santiago de Compestela in Spain – a total of 465 miles.
His walk will raise money for The Gatehouse in St Michael’s Street, Oxford, a drop-in cafe for homeless and other vulnerable people.
Mr Bunch said of his pilgrimage: ‘This is part of my sabbatical. I was looking at a £5,000 hole in the café’s funding, year-on-year and I thought this would help to close that gap.’ He has been already been promised around £2,000 by schools and churches in North Oxford.
Gatehouse volunteer Helen Williams said of the centre: ‘It’s vital for people on the edge of society. Without fundraising efforts like Andrew’s they wouldn’t have anywhere to go.
To sponsor Mr Bunch email admin@oxfordgatehouse.org or call 01865 792999.