Christian Aid 'Improved the Lives of Millions'

Tuesday May 27 2025

From left: the Very Rev Dr Angus Morrison, Rt Rev Dr John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh, the Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Christian Aid’s UK and Global Church Ambassador, Val Brown, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, First Minister of Scotland John Swinney and Patrick Watt, CEO, Christian Aid. Picture: Christian Aid / Julie Forsyth

The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, has said that Christian Aid’s work has ‘improved the lives of millions around the world’.

Speaking at a service in Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral marking the charity’s 80th anniversary, My Swinney said: “On the 80th anniversary of Christian Aid, I want to recognise their incredible legacy of supporting those most in need through their international development and humanitarian response work.  

“The Scottish Government greatly values our longstanding partnership with Christian Aid. I want to thank the organisation for their continued input to our Humanitarian Emergency Fund and for the delivery of impactful climate justice, humanitarian and development projects over the many years we have worked together.” 

The ‘Unstoppable Power of Hope’ was the theme running through the service which included music from the Wild Goose Collective, Sisken Green and poetry written for the anniversary. 

Patrick Watt, the charity’s Chief Executive, spoke of their long history of helping others and its resolve to continue this work, “today, tomorrow and the day after that we will give, act and pray together.”

Christian Aid was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, as churches in Scotland and around Britain and Ireland responded to the huge refugee crisis in Europe. 

Since then, the charity has launched Britain’s longest running charity fundraising week (Christian Aid Week, which runs for 7 days every May), helped found the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and continues to campaign on issues from the climate crisis and debt justice to ending violence against women and girls. 

Christian Aid’s UK and Global Church Ambassador and former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, said the service was about looking backwards and forwards at a time when being a compassionate global neighbour is as important as ever. She said: “Eight decades is a milestone anniversary – 80 years of raising our voices and working and walking with those living in poverty. We exist now, in 2025, only because there is still extreme poverty and social injustice all around us in our world.  

“Every human has the right to live life in all its fullness. The service was about reflecting on what Christian Aid has achieved to date while recommitting to the future, as there’s so much still to do. We stay hopeful that an end to global poverty is possible – and the unstoppable power of hope drives us on.”     

During the service the congregation sang the hymn ‘When I Needed a Neighbour’, a song that was originally written for Christian Aid in 1965, for the 20th anniversary, and is still popular in churches and school assemblies today.

Life and Work is the magazine of the Church of Scotland. June issue out now.

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