Editor’s note: Revd Dr Sam Wells shares his thoughts on writing his script for the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal
“I did 22 years in the army. I then couldn’t find a job and everything went down the drain.”
When I’m writing the script for the Appeal, I have two things in mind to say to the listeners. Homelessness is a complex issue, and people in the midst of it have a host of things going on in their lives, it’s seldom something a simple intervention or insertion of money can just ‘fix’; and yet this is about as worthwhile a cause as any you could give money to, and your money will be well spent.
So this year’s appeal is about addressing powerlessness and isolation.
It starts with a positive experience of what it means to be able to say ‘You were there for me.’ It’s one of the most affirming and heartwarming things any of us can ever be told, and to be told the opposite is utterly crushing. But the reason it matters is because it is saying ‘This relationship has overcome my isolation, and this relationship was what I needed when I faced the horror of my own powerlessness.’
Sarah received a grant and now has a place to call home.
It’s easy to say, ‘Give us your money and we’ll change the world.’ But it’s nonsense.
Instead, it’s better to say, ‘Your money can ensure that when homeless and vulnerable people fall through life’s net, there’s likely to be someone who can understand them, walk with them, and ensure they are not alone. That’s the single most important thing in people emerging from poverty. And by giving to the Appeal, you can take some of the credit for that.’
Sam Wells
St Martin in the Fields blog: Writing the Christmas Appeal December 2014
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Watch: Hugh Dennis meets Ron & Stephen who were both homeless
Watch: Aasmah Mir visits The Connection at St Martin’s
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