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In 1971 the appeal raised £27,315
Throughout the 1970’s the Christmas Appeal continued to raise ever increasing amounts of money. In 1971 the appeal raised £27,315, this increased to £71,679 by 1980 and many attributed the appeals success during this decade to the hugely popular Rev. Austen Williams. Austen Williams was by all accounts a natural..Read more
60th Anniversary of the first Religious Broadcast
1984 saw both the 60th Anniversary of the first Religious Broadcast and the retirement of the much loved Austen Williams. Upon his retirement many came forward to share their memories of Austen including Ronald Farrow of the B.B.C. who said: “Because of his modesty he makes the process of broadcasting..Read more
Dick Sheppard dies
After several years of ill health the Rev. H.R.L. Sheppard passed away on 31st October 1937 at the age of 57. His funeral was held at St Paul’s Cathedral and drew huge crowds. As per his wishes he was buried in the cloisters at Canterbury Cathedral.
The Holiday Fund and Christmas Appeal
The Central Advisory Appeals Committee felt that broadcasting two appeals from St Martin’s (i.e. The Holiday Fund and Christmas Appeal) could be seen as slightly excessive
Dick Sheppard and Pat McCormick
The St Martin’s Christmas Appeal can be traced back to December 1920, when Rev. Dick Sheppard would informally ask the congregation at the end of the December service to donate money for those less fortunate, this informal appeal continued privately until 1925. It was then that Dick Sheppard began incorporating..Read more