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It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr Colin Crawforth, who has been part of International Aid Trust for nearly twenty years. We thank God for Colin’s life, faith and service. Please pray with us for Colin’s wife Denise, daughter Nicky and family. Read on for a tribute from our CEO & Founder, Rev. Bernard Cocker, and a link to tributes from the Rossendale area, where Colin served as mayor, as a local councillor and in many other ways.

Colin’s funeral service will be held at 12.30 St Pauls Church, Rawtenstall, followed cremation at  Burnley.

“We were all sad when we heard that Colin had has passed away after a long illness. Colin and his wife Denise first came to us in January 2004 in response to our appeal after the Tsunami in Southeast Asia. Colin soon became a trustee, helping to raise funds, aid, and awareness for our overseas ministry. This was soon followed by visits to Ukraine where he quickly fell in love with the country and its people. For the last nineteen years Colin has been a much-loved friend to many and real asset to International Aid Trust. Before Colin’s health deteriorated, he was spending one day a week in the office where I called him ‘Mr Grumpy’, his humour and love was infectious. Even when Colin’s health deteriorated he was very supportive, He read my WhatsApp updates every day and was forever complementing me on them, when I thought that perhaps I was posting too much he reassured me. Colin had a very strong faith and he lived by it. You have gone to a better place Colin, but we will all miss you.”

Rev. Bernard Cocker, CEO & Founder

Rossendale: Tributes after death of former mayor Dr Colin Crawforth https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23952889.rossendale-tributes-death-former-mayor-dr-colin-crawforth/?shem=ssusba

Reflect with us on the Words of Isaiah 9 verse 6 and pray for the work of International Aid Trust throughout Advent, with a picture to create and daily prayer prompts: follow this link to find out more Advent Reflection 2023

Vision Mission Moldova

The International Aid Trust Vision Mission has recently blessed over a thousand people with improved eyesight, thanks to all the second spectacles you have kindly donated!

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/49aQwK4

Follow this link for more information about the difference previous Vision Mission visits to Ukraine and Sierra Leone have made: https://bit.ly/478FvqG

Urgent Appeal: Pass the Pasta!

Click this link to print off the poster Pasta Appeal

We are sending several trucks and containers of aid out to our teams around the world, including Ukraine, Sierra Leone and Cuba, in the next few weeks. The onset of winter and the drastic rises in global food prices mean that food is a priority for all these shipments.

We especially need donations of pasta of all kinds (with 1 year’s best before date). If you are looking for the most reasonable prices, the best value we’ve found is in Aldi for 54p per kilo, if everyone is able to donate a packet or two it adds up very quickly!

Please take to our warehouse: International Aid Trust, The Barn, 255 Moss Lane, Hesketh Bank, Preston PR4 6AE or to any of our Charity Shops.

Also if anyone has contacts with a food wholesalers who would like to help, please email office@internationalaidtrust.org.uk or phone 01772 611000

Dr Colin Crawforth first came to International Aid Trust in 2004 following the Tsunami that had devastated southeast Asia.

Colin soon became part of our team and has served as a trustee for 18 years now, bringing wisdom, encouragement and prayer. Over this period Colin and his wife Denise have been very active in helping others, spending time volunteering in our warehouse and offices, leading prayer meetings, giving talks and encouraging support for the charity in their local area.

Rev Bernard Cocker, our CEO & Founder says; “Colin has a special love for Ukraine, a nation that he has visited. To celebrate his birthday, Colin and Denise made a very generous donation for the purchase of mine detectors in Ukraine. Their gift will be saving lives for a long time to come.

A caring friend, always putting the needs of others before himself, Colin has also been very active in his own borough of Rossendale, as a church elder and as a town councillor, serving as Lord Mayor in 2017 -18. We have some great people at International Aid Trust!

God bless you Colin and Denise.”

New Hope Academy, Sierra Leone

Download here the pdf  to read about the progress on the building of our New Hope Academy Secondary School in Sierra Leone, the children attending, the blessing the school will be to the local community, and how you can pray for and support the completion of the building.

Download a printable pdf poster here: https://bit.ly/44Xbqd2
With the ways that you can donate and pray to help protect soldiers and civilians from anti-personnel and vehicle mines.

Read our recent press release here: https://bit.ly/3rClI3y and follow the journey of two emergency ambulances from our warehouse in Hesketh Bank to Ukraine.
You can also view a video of one of the ambulances being presented by Bernard and the International Aid Trust Ukraine team at Fastov Regional Hospital Clinic here: Driving Hope to Ukraine – Emergency Ambulances – YouTube  And watch more, very encouraging, videos from Bernard’s recent visit to Ukraine on our YouTube channel: @InternationalAidOrg International Aid Trust – YouTube

The new edition of our ‘In Touch’ magazine is out now! You can read it here
There’s lots of news of all that God is doing through International Aid Trust: encouragement from the Prison Ministry in Ukraine, the Vision Mission improving sight in Sierra Leone and where they will be helping next, Holiday Bible camps and clubs in India, Moldova and the Philippines, as well as more aid coming into the warehouse and a visit to one of our shops!

If you have signed up for postal updates, your printed copy of In Touch 8 should have arrived! If you have not subscribed to postal updates and would like a copy or would like a larger number of copies for your church or group, please email: office@internationalaidtrust.org.uk