War Cry 16 March 2024

But how will it end for Casualt y’s Charlie?

Julian Richer on the sound principles that inspire him

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

What is the War Cry?

The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

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Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow

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Staff Writer: Emily Bright

Staff Writer: Claire Brine

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Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

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TIME after time, Richer Sounds has been named retailer of the year by Which? But it is not only the hi-fi and home entertainment chain’s customer experience and products that have attracted the interest of reviewers over the years. Its founder has made the news for his attitude towards business –as when he handed 60 per cent of his company to an employee-owned trust.

In this week’s issue of the War Cry, Julian Richer explains why he tries to keep not only customers but also employees happy. ‘If you’re loyal to your colleagues, they will be loyal back. Being good to people works,’ says the man who receives a weekly colleague care report that alerts him to any staff going through a difficult time.

Julian is also concerned with the way people deal with each other in the wider world of business and beyond, and he has set up organisations that seek to address people’s needs.

‘We should all be helping one another, because this isn’t an equal society. Some people have better opportunities in life than others,’ he says. And, pointing to his inspiration, he explains: ‘The message of Jesus was to “love thy neighbour”.’

It’s noteworthy that this week we also report on how a Salvation Army site that gave rise to a Beatles song won a Liverpool tourism award, partly because it ‘engages their community’. Strawberry Field runs a Steps to Work training programme for young people who face barriers to employment.

Meanwhile, across the country, Newcastle City Temple Salvation Army has joined the list of centres offering the church and charity’s Employment Plus scheme, which supports jobseekers.

The Salvation Army believes that employment can contribute to the welfare of individuals, families and communities. Motivated by the same ‘love thy neighbour’ message that inspires Julian, its efforts to help people into employment are yet more examples of the Christian faith at work.

INFO INFO

On a knife-edge

It’s touch-and-go for veteran nurse in Casualt y

RUSHED into resus, Holby City Hospital nurse Charlie Fairhead is fighting for his life during his final appearance in BBC1’s Casualty, due to be broadcast tonight (Saturday 16 March). Staff are in shock at his critical state –Charlie has been at the heart of the hospital for 37 years.

Fans of the medical drama are shocked too. He’s the only original character left from the first episode, which was aired back in 1986.

Over the decades, Charlie – played by Derek Thompson – has cared for thousands of patients. He has also required medical care himself: he was run over by an ambulance on his wedding day, was shot in the chest by a man holding another nurse hostage, and went into near-fatal cardiac arrest during a gang siege.

Then, last Saturday, he was stabbed while confronting a drug dealer who was stealing pharmaceuticals from the hospital. His friend Dr Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) – the clinical lead of the emergency department – spotted Charlie in the nick of time and ran to the rescue.

In this week’s episode, he drifts in and out of consciousness, and, as his doctor

friends race to save his life, his mind wanders back to the early days of his medical career.

He recalls how a retirement party for his boss at the time, head nurse Shirley (Annette Badland), was interrupted when a bomb went off in central London. Charlie was left reeling by the trauma around him. Yet, under Shirley’s supervision, he rallied himself to tend to the wounded and provide support to their family members.

continue as a doctor. She will have to decide if she too is all in and has what it takes to save Charlie’s life.

They will not necessarily be a matter of life and death, but it’s likely that we must all make tough calls. We may not know how to heal a broken relationship, how to come through troubles or how to recover from the mistakes we make.

Charlie’s life hangs in the balance

The day took its toll, and – despairing of the suffering around him that he seemed unable to fix – he considered resigning. But Shirley gently reminded him: ‘If you weren’t upset, it would mean you didn’t care. You can’t do this job half-hearted. You’re either all in or all out.’

Now, as Charlie’s life hangs in the balance, Stevie must make decisive calls about his treatment. But she’s struggling with self-doubt after facing a hospital inquiry into her conduct. And – in an echo of what Charlie was feeling all those years ago – she’s left wondering if she should

At such times, it can be reassuring to get guidance –and many people, when they look back over their lives, see that they have received such support from God.

They have discovered the truth behind a passage in the Bible which assures them that God cares for their future. ‘When you cry to him for help, he will answer you,’ it says. ‘If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it”’ (Isaiah 30:19 and 21 Good News Bible).

If we put our trust in God and ask for his help, we will be pointed in the right direction. The future looks better when we go all in with him.

Charlie Fairhead confronts the drug dealer

TV preview by Emily Bright

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j TEA M TALK

Beatle regrets remark – to this day

Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters

A CONVERSATION in which a young Paul McCartney embarrassed his mother may have inspired a lyric in the Beatles’ song ‘Yesterday’.

A number of newspapers picked up on an episode of the podcast, A Life in Lyrics, in which the singer reflected on his relationship with his mum, who, he explained, talked ‘a little bit posh’.

Remembering one particular conversation with her, Paul said: ‘I remember that she said something like “Paul, will you ask him if he’s going to...” I went: “Arsk! Arsk! It’s ask, Mum.” And she got a little bit embarrassed. I remember later thinking: I wish I’d never said that. And it stuck with me.’

Almost a decade after his mum died, Paul wrote ‘Yesterday’. And on the podcast, he wondered aloud if the lyric ‘I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday’ was ‘harking back to that crazy little thing’.

Little things can play on our minds

Team talk Team talk

He continued: ‘I’ve got a couple of those little things that I know that people would forgive me, because they’re not big things –they’re little things – but ... if I could just take a rubber, just rub that little moment out, it would be better.”’

Hearing Paul reflect on his ‘little moment’ of failure caused me to think about some of my own. Perhaps we can all bring to mind past behaviour which we regret. And those little things can play on our minds – even years after they happened.

While we can’t erase past mistakes, it’s a central concept in Christianity that, when we are sorry for them, God offers to forgive us. He also wants us to show the same kind of forgiveness to others, whether we consider their mistakes as little or much bigger things.

Jesus urged his followers to forgive people who wronged them ‘not just 7 times, but 77 times!’ (Matthew 18:22 Contemporary English Version). He was saying that true forgiveness has no limits. We need to give it, time after time.

And when we are prepared to forgive people who did or said something wrong, then, little by little, the world will be able to look forward to a better tomorrow.

WAR talk talk

Crown actor looks back on choir days

REFLECTING on the role of the Church during his youth, Greg Wise revealed on the podcast The Sacred that he ‘loved singing with the choir’.

The star of The Crown looked back on his years as a day boarder at St Peter’s School in York, and spoke about his memories of attending chapel seven days a week.

‘I loved the church music,’ he said. ‘I sang solos in the minster. I had a piece written for me actually, to sing at the very top of the rood screen... Then I had to sprint down these winding stairs, all the way down to the bottom to do a duet with another chorister.’

Greg went on to say that, during the Epiphany service, he had ‘a connection to the music and to the drama’ of being in church. ‘And still now I feel that,’ he added, explaining that he attended several carol concerts over the Christmas period. ‘I love singing in church,’ he said.

PA IMAGES/ALAMY

Greg Wise

WAR CRYWnRLD

England’s Earl recalls conversion

ENGLAND rugby player Ben Earl has revealed how his Christian faith has sustained him throughout his career.

In an interview for England Rugby’s YouTube channel, posted earlier in the Six Nations championship that concludes this weekend, the flanker said that he became a Christian during his last year at school. Remembering that time, he said: ‘It was something I took a lot of comfort out of, having another support board, something that you can lean on.’

He described his faith as ‘something that I care deeply about’, and said: ‘I had an injury not long ago, just before Christmas, and I was out for a good chunk of time – probably the longest I’ve ever been out.

‘It gave me another chance to reflect on where I am as a player and as a person, but also the idea that everything happens for a reason. I actually thought that time out injured was one of the most enjoyable that I had in terms of growing myself in both facets – as a player professionally, and as a bloke.

‘Everything is up to God’s plan, and I truly believe in that. And all you can do is try your best, and I think that’s a bit of a liberator for me.’

nA SALVATION Army worship hall and community centre in Newcastle upon Tyne has been added to the list of those offering a scheme to help people find work. Employment Plus – a nationwide Salvation Army scheme that assists people in writing CVs, applying for jobs and accessing training – has been launched by the Newcastle City Temple church, which moved into new premises last year.

nSTRAWBERRY Field – The Salvation Army’s site in Liverpool that inspired a Beatles song – has been named small visitor attraction of the year in the region’s tourism awards for 2023. The former children’s home, in whose grounds John Lennon used to play, now houses a Beatles exhibition and spaces for spiritual reflection as well as running Steps to Work, a training programme for young people facing barriers to employment.

The judges for the Liverpool City Region Tourism awards, which were presented in an event at Liverpool Cathedral, praised the site as ‘a destination that houses not just a great tourist attraction but also engages their community and offers a place of sanctuary’.

Essential bills putting people in debt

PAYING essential household bills is driving people into debt, a Christians Against Poverty (CAP) report has revealed.

Research published in Pushed Under, Pushed Out found that 82 per cent of people who were living on a household income below the minimum level were in arrears because of bills.

Using data collected from 35,000 people over 10 years, the percentage equates to about one million people who live in a household below the minimum income standard falling into debt across the UK. People in low-income employment were among those most affected, illustrating that having a job doesn’t necessarily protect people against low incomes and debt.

The research commissioned by CAP was conducted by the University of Loughborough’s Centre for Research in Social Policy.

MARK PAIN/ALAMY

Majors Allister and Kathleen Versfeld of Strawberry Field with the award

A NE W AG E FO R

Salvation Army youth group leader ANGE SAMPSON explains how an unexpected encounter helped her escape from domestic abuse, addiction and the occult

Interview

by Emily Bright

AS drug-dealing new age travellers and chronic addicts, Ange Sampson and her partner lived a nomadic lifestyle. In their early 40s they trucked across Wales, selling the Big Issue. Then, while in a car park in Aberystwyth, an unexpected encounter changed Ange’s life.

‘A tattooed woman in boots and dreadlocks rocked up in an ancient Land Rover and came over to our truck,’ she recalls. ‘I chatted to her, and Jan began dropping by every few days for a cup of tea and a chat.’

At that time, Ange couldn’t find anywhere to park her truck for the winter. Her new friend offered her back garden as a parking bay.

When Ange popped by her friend’s home, she was shocked to see crosses on the walls.

‘I felt as if I was melting, like the Wicked Witch of the West,’ she jokes, ‘because I was an occult practitioner. I read runes, tarot and crystals. My involvement in occult practices kept me deep in making poor choices, especially with my addictions. Seeing all these crosses, I was like: “Help!”’

Jan explained who Jesus was and invited Ange along to her Salvation Army church on Sunday.

‘I went to the meetings, often drunk, weeping and in a terrible mess,’ says Ange. ‘Yet people made me feel welcome.’

As she began attending church, her partner’s behaviour grew more dangerous. She left the area to protect those closest to her, and the couple travelled across northwest and mid-Wales for the next year, with Ange sneaking out to early morning church services.

By the time they moved to Monmouthshire, she was growing desperate.

‘I got tired of looking for God because things hadn’t got better,’ she says. ‘I started to drink again at night, and I had been a heroin user for quite a while.

‘One night, we had all been drinking at a fire pit, when my partner threw me in the fire and attacked me with a machete. Another chap there jumped on him and said: “Call the police.” I did.’

Ange fled to the woods, without a phone or shoes. The police arrested her partner, but he was released the next morning. Ange says that he was ‘raging’ and ‘went for me again’.

My partner attacked me with a machete

Once more, she escaped to the woods and called the police, who stood with her partner while she gathered her things. Her next phone call was to Jan, who cleared out her old camper van and offered it to Ange as a place of refuge. The following morning, Ange went with Jan to a breakfast church meeting at the Bay Hotel in Aberystwyth. That day –18 August 2004 – would become a landmark in Ange’s life.

After eating breakfast, the group sang a few hymns. Suddenly, two women began speaking in tongues, which Christians believe is a spiritual language sometimes used to communicate with God.

Ange says: ‘When I clocked that, I became ultra-afraid and thought: “What fruitcakes!” The hairs on my arms stood up. My neck went tight and weird. I was going into fight or flight mode.

‘I went to get my bag, which was two feet in front of me on the floor. And yet I couldn’t move my feet. I started to sweat and shake.

‘The minister asked: “Has anyone here not been baptised in the Holy Spirit?” I put my hand up. I said to myself: “What are you doing, you mad thing?” Then I put my other hand up.’

The minister invited those who wanted a relationship with God to walk towards her. Ange was determined to leave the room, but she couldn’t. In her rage, she heard a calm voice saying: ‘Whatever it takes.’ Resigned to her inability to leave, she walked towards the minister.

‘She prayed for me, and I hit the deck like a sack of spuds,’ Ange says. ‘When I got up, I was different. My rage was gone, and I began to pray in tongues. It bubbled out like a bird singing. I felt like I was born to praise God.

‘After the meeting, I went out for a cigarette, but that was the only addiction left – I had no desire to drink or take

One of Jantien Powell’s paintings of Ange, showing the car park encounter that changed her life

JANTIEN POWELL

A A NG E

other substances, because straightaway what I had encountered felt better than all of them put together. I had no withdrawal symptoms. God delivered me from that.

The cigarette habit was something I worked

Ange moved to Abergavenny. While selling she was seen by artist – and fellow Christian – Jantien Powell who, after hearing her story, was inspired to create a series of paintings about Ange’s life. The work was exhibited at a local gallery, helping Jantien’s art business to take off.

It was also while selling the Big Issue that Ange encountered the youth centre 7Corners, which was by her pitch. The centre offered her a part-time job, and she has worked there ever since.

Eighteen years on, she is now the centre’s manager. She also attends The Salvation Army’s Abergavenny church, which she describes as ‘my spiritual home, my family’, and leads its youth group.

Two decades on from finding faith, Ange reflects on the truth that changed her life and helped her through her greatest challenges. She says: ‘God loves me unconditionally, wants a relationship with me and knows me from the inside out.’

Ange Sampson now works for the 7Corners youth centre

Ange says this painting represents how she has ‘a future in Christ’

‘Faith is more valuable than being rich, which is why I want to give’

Julian Richer

AWhen JULIAN RICHER appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2019 he was said to be worth £160 million. In the same year, his name also appeared in news reports telling how he handed 60 per cent of his company to his employees. The founder of Richer Sounds explains why it’s important to treat people well in business, and how the teachings of Jesus inspire him to try to make the world a better place

Interview by Claire Brine

S employees of Richer Sounds gathered in London for their annual conference five years ago, they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Their boss Julian Richer – who set up the chain of home entertainment stores in 1978 – was announcing his intention to place 60 per cent of the business into an employee-owned trust. Then came the cherry on top: he was also going to give each member of staff the gift of £1,000 for every year that they had worked for him, costing him £4 million out of his own pocket.

‘I did it because I wanted to do it,’ Julian remembers. ‘Business is about looking after people and treating them well. It’s the right thing to do. So it was a happy day for me when I made that announcement to my colleagues. They were very appreciative.’

Today, Richer Sounds has about 50 stores across the UK, selling hi-fi separates, TVs, projectors and all the accompanying accessories. Having been named by the consumers’ association Which? as retailer of the year multiple times, the company is praised for its ‘consistently high customer scores’ and value for money.

While keeping customers happy has always been important to Julian, he tells me that taking care of his staff is equally valuable to him.

‘Inspiring the troops, getting on well with colleagues and having their backs is crucial,’ he says. ‘I always feel on the side of my sales colleagues, who have to get up early to open the shops, lug heavy boxes around, deal with demanding customers and so on. I’ve learnt over the years that if I treat my colleagues well, they appreciate it. They don’t want to

leave their jobs, they don’t steal and they give customers great service.’

One of the ways in which Julian supports his employees is through the weekly colleague care report. It alerts him to any member of staff going through a difficult time, so that he can phone them and offer further help where necessary. He also grants his employees an extra day’s holiday when it’s their birthday and time off for parents on their child’s first day of school. Perhaps one of the biggest perks of working for Richer Sounds is that colleagues are able to enjoy a free week’s holiday each year, staying in one of the company’s own holiday homes.

‘If you’re loyal to your colleagues, they will be loyal back,’ says Julian. ‘Being good to people works. And one thing I’ve learnt in business is that when you do something well, stick to it.’

Striving for excellence in his treatment

GERARDO

JACONELLI

of customers and colleagues has been a key motivator for Julian since the early days of Richer Sounds. Today the company is an accredited living wage employer. It does not use zero hours contracts, unless requested by the employee. And it donates 15 per cent of its profits to charity.

any retail outlet during a calendar year. The branch has since moved down the road; but the record still stands.

‘I think there are three things that have been really important in terms of my ongoing career success,’ Julian tells me. ‘One is determination. I don’t give up at the first sign of difficulty.

Getting on well with colleagues is crucial

‘Secondly, I’ve always tried to get on with everyone. If you can do that in business, you’ll have an amazing advantage over the competition.

opportunities that came along.’

As well as running a successful business, Julian has spent his spare time setting up a number of charities and non-profit organisations. They include the Fairness Foundation, which seeks to establish a better society in areas such as education and housing; Taxwatch, an investigative think tank dedicated to the sound administration of tax law; and Acts435, a charity website that allows people to give money directly to those in need.

But how did Julian get his business off the ground in the first place? The short answer is: with £10 in his pocket. When he was 14 years old, Julian started selling hi-fi systems to his school friends. By the time he was 17, he had three people working for him on commission. He opened his first branch of Richer Sounds near London Bridge at the age of 19. In 1994, it set the Guinness World Record for most sales per square foot of Turn to page 10 f

‘And thirdly, I’ve been very blessed. Some people might call it luck – and I would break that down even further to talk about active luck and passive luck. I got my “passive luck” by being born to great parents and receiving a great education. I thank God for those things every day. And “active luck” has been about me taking advantage of the

‘Acts435 is run by churches,’ explains Julian. ‘Every church appoints an advocate, and then anyone in the community can approach that advocate with their need. The need is then posted on the Acts435 website, and anyone in the

Richer Sounds has been praised by Which? for its ‘consistently high customer scores’

From page 9

world can make donations.

‘In every situation, 100 per cent of the donation goes to the person who has asked for it. Not a penny is spent on overheads, because the Gift Aid refund we receive from the HMRC always covers our costs.’

A quick look on the Acts435 website reveals the finer details. People seeking help can make a request up to a value of £200 for specific items (such as a cooker or bed), and £120 for more general items, (such as clothing and food). Individuals are able to apply for help up to three times a year. A lot of the time, advocates find that they are being approached by single parents, asylum seekers and people who are unemployed or living in temporary accommodation.

Julian tells me how the idea came about.

‘When I was 46, I was baptised at St Michael-le-Belfry Church in York – and it was a special day. I was excited. Jesus’ message to help people in need had connected with me, and it led to an idea.

‘I saw that many churches were being used only for an hour a week on a Sunday, and I thought it was a waste of a fantastic asset. I also saw that the Church as a

whole had some problems in attracting people – and I wanted to get them through the doors, rather than lose them.

‘So I came up with this idea, which wasn’t about just giving money to people, but about making them feel loved and welcome in church. Later, I invited the Archbishop of York at the time, Dr John Sentamu, and his wife, Margaret, over for tea, and when I told them my idea, they got behind it straightaway. He agreed to be the ambassador for the charity, and Margaret was fantastic as the chair.’

The archbishop also came up with the charity’s name, which is inspired by a Bible verse – Acts 4:35 – which describes how early followers of Jesus shared their possessions and gave money to anyone in need.

‘The name is absolutely relevant to what the charity is doing,’ says Julian. ‘And I believe we should all be helping one another, because this isn’t an equal society. Some people have better opportunities in life than others. Some people make bad choices because of the cards they’ve been dealt. But the message of Jesus was to “love thy neighbour”.’

Taking the teachings of Jesus seriously

Julian shares his business expertise at a CBI conference in London

has been important to Julian since he became a Christian some 20 years ago.

‘Back then, I used to go to church with my wife,’ he says. ‘She was a practising Christian, while I was more of a passenger. I enjoyed the services as a time of calm reflection. And the people were nice, creating a great sense of community.’

After a while, the vicar told Julian and his wife that he wanted to run an Alpha course – which offers people the opportunity to explore the basics of Christianity – and he wondered if they would host it at their home. The couple agreed and the course was a success. So they hosted the course a second time.

a lot out of it.’

Considering that Julian is a wealthy businessman, some may wonder why he finds the Christian faith so appealing, or even necessary. What does he get from it that money can’t buy?

I want to leave the world a better place

‘My faith brings me peace,’ he says. ‘But also the satisfaction that there is a solution to many of the world’s problems. Jesus’ teachings to love God and love your neighbour are bulletproof. And I enjoy that simplicity. The world would be a better place if we all followed them.’

slow for me. It meant that I never forgot the value of money, which means I have a balanced relationship with it today. I don’t like wasting it. I don’t spend it on flashy things to show off. I do like giving it away.

‘Throughout our lifetime, my wife and I have given away tens of millions of pounds, which is far more than we have spent on ourselves. My view is that we are caretakers of our money for a short amount of time.’

And in the years to come, Julian intends to use his wealth to continue supporting good causes.

‘After that, he asked my wife and me if we could run it by ourselves. So we set up a Bible study group at home.

‘About 18 months down the line, I felt ready to be baptised. It was such a special day. We still run the Bible study. We have about 100 members, so we hold it in the local village hall. I pay the rent and for everyone’s lunch. People seem to get

Another subject that Jesus touched on in his preaching was the danger of the love of money, warning his followers that money should never become more important than their relationship with God. As a rich man, how does Julian interpret such teaching?

‘I don’t think Jesus had a problem with people making money, but the issue was more about how people used or spent it,’ he says. ‘I started my business with £10, so the process of gaining wealth was very

‘I want to do as much as I can in the time I have left, to leave the world a better place,’ he says. ‘As well as funding my eight not-for-profit organisations, I’d like to offer my services to government, helping in any areas where I feel I have a little expertise, such as encouraging responsible business. I’d also like to help with the housing crisis, because there’s not enough truly affordable housing, and people are suffering miserably.

‘Whatever happens next, my plan is to keep my ear to the ground, looking out for other causes that I can help.’

YOUR prayers are requested for Nathan, who lost his mother a year ago.

The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

jBecoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

Hands together,

Andrew Stone looks at the Lord’s Prayer

But deliver us from evil

THE university student had been standing in the post office queue for more than 15 minutes. The parcel he was holding seemed to grow heavier with every passing moment. He should have been more organised, he told himself, then he could have avoided this problem.

Once the student reached the counter, he told the assistant that he had just realised it was his mother’s birthday the next day, and he wanted to make sure that her present reached her on time.

We face troubles which spoil our lives

‘You can send it by special delivery,’ said the woman behind the counter. ‘The parcel is guaranteed to get there by one o’clock tomorrow afternoon.’

The next day, the student’s mum rang to thank him for the lovely gift. Phew!

In a way, we ask God for a ‘special delivery’ from our problems when we pray for him to ‘deliver us from evil’. We may not often feel confronted by a specific evil, but there are occasions when we face troubles which spoil our lives. God wants to help us through those bad situations. He wants to deliver us from our difficulties and guide us into a better life.

Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever.

Amen

aKing David, who ruled Israel some 3,000 years ago, faced many challenging circumstances, including times when people were trying to kill him. He relied on God, saying: ‘He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer’ (Psalm 144:2 New International Version).

We too can experience God’s love and help. All we need to do is believe in him and live our lives his way. When we do, it won’t mean that we never face any tough situations, but it will mean that God will show us how to deal with them and move on – his own special delivery for each of us.

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

QUICK QUIZ

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4 5 6

Which Dragons’ Den judge hosts the business podcast

The Diary of a CEO?

Who recorded the hit album My 21st Century Blues?

Who is the host of TV game show The Weakest Link?

Who directed the film Asteroid City?

In which year were the Nobel prizes first awarded?

What is the common name for the vertebral column in the human body?

Trash talk

Keep Britain Tidy urges people to sign up for Great British Spring Clean

Feature by Claire Brine

NOW that the wintry weather is behind us – so we hope – it’s time for a spot of spring cleaning. But rather than staying indoors with a feather duster, we are being urged to head outside and pick up litter as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, which runs until the end of the month.

Last year 350,000 volunteers backed the nationwide campaign, collecting more than 400,000 bags of litter from streets, parks and beaches. According to Keep Britain Tidy, much of it was ‘retro rubbish’ that had been dropped decades ago, but was still causing harm to the environment today.

This year, to mark the charity’s 70th anniversary, campaigners are encouraging volunteers who sign up online to make a pledge to pick 70 items of litter or even 70 bags. Every contribution adds up to make a big difference.

Much of it was ‘retro rubbish’

‘Our collective efforts remove thousands of tonnes of litter from our environment,’ says Allison Ogden-Newton of Keep Britain Tidy. ‘It sends the message to those who persist in thoughtlessly polluting that littering is not socially acceptable and has to stop.’

Acting thoughtlessly – towards the environment, other people or even ourselves – can cause long-lasting damage that is hard to undo. Our words and behaviour have an impact on the people around us.

Someone who undoubtedly made a positive difference to the world was Jesus. And he also encouraged people to think carefully about the mark they left. When he saw individuals acting selfishly or suffering the consequences of their mistakes, he pointed them towards God.

Jesus delivered a message that God not only wanted them to live well, but also offered them forgiveness for when they went wrong. He told them that God’s love had the power to change their attitude towards life, helping them to become more thoughtful, more caring people.

God can transform us in the same way today. When we turn to him, our slate can be wiped clean. And when we ask for help, he will show us how to play a part in making the world a better place.

Quick

ACROSS

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SERVES 4

Sausage, onion and potato tray bake

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

454g pack sausages, fresh or frozen

1 large onion, cut into wedges

500g new or salad potatoes, thickly sliced

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

1tbsp thyme, fresh or dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

MAKES 12

If using frozen sausages, defrost before use. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Twist each sausage into 2 and cut to make 16 small sausages. Place them on a large roasting tray with the onion and potatoes, then toss with the oil, mustard and thyme. Season well with salt and pepper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are golden and tender. Serve immediately.

Peanut butter and banana flapjacks

INGREDIENTS

2tbsp butter

2tbsp smooth peanut butter

2tbsp honey

1tsp cinnamon

Salt

200g oats

3 ripe bananas,

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Add the butter, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon and a good pinch of salt to a bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring occasionally.

Mix the oats, banana and dried fruit, nuts or seeds in a large bowl. Add the melted butter mixture and stir until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to the baking tray, pressing down so that it fills the corners and makes an even layer.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top starts to turn golden brown. Cool slightly in the tin, then turn out on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Slice into 12 squares, to serve.

Nobody is excluded from God’s promises

Rose Ann Forte