Seizing the opportunities God gives

CARE is a Christian social policy charity that grew out of the 1971 Nationwide Festival of Light which culminated in over 60,000 Christians meeting at a rally in Trafalgar Square and drew the attention of government to the excesses of legislation of the 1960s.

Today, CARE conducts research on issues of human dignity, whether it be the unborn child, someone at the end of their lives, the trafficked woman or child, the advances of modern technology, or marriage and the family and education. CARE’s main office is in the heart of political life in Westminster, London. David Binder interviewed CARE’s chief executive, Nola Leach, for EN to find out more about CARE.

EN: Given the seemingly diverse range of issues CARE works on, what, in a ‘nutshell’, is CARE?

NL: CARE is a unique Christian organisation seeking to serve both the policy makers and the church, equipping them to make a real Christian difference in society and, where possible, CARE seeks to link together our research with our care of the vulnerable, so that, in effect, they are ‘two sides of the same coin’. In practice, this means that we either provide help ourselves (as with the work of the pregnancy centres) or work with other Christian groups with specialist expertise.

One result of this approach is that we are able to help our Christian brothers and sisters face challenges unique to them in the 21st century (see our work on internet safety, for example). Finally, CARE as a charity is absolutely non-political. This means that we work with Christians from all political parties.

EN: CARE has obviously come a long way, but how did the CARE story start?

NL: CARE grew out of the Nationwide Festival of Light’ when Christians from across the whole of the country said ‘enough is enough’ in relation to the wide-scale liberalisation of UK society that had taken place in the 1960s. Rallies were held and beacons lit across the UK. More specifically, there was real concern regarding governmental legislation on abortion and the blasphemy laws.

Moreover, due to this rapid legislative change (e.g. the Abortion Act in 1967) and the social transformation that came with it, there was real need for a structured Christian response which could influence government policy and for the introduction of a policy framework on these crucial social issues. CARE was launched in 1983 in the Barbican. Over the years, others have joined us: Christians Caring for Life became CareConfidential and Christians in Education becoming a department of CARE. New intiatives such as our sex and relationships education programme, Evaluate, were launched.

EN: Let’s talk more about these particular policy areas. With potentially hundreds of valid areas to research and work on, how do you get to those that CARE specifically focuses on? Why focus on these in particular?

NL: At the heart of CARE is the belief in the dignity of human beings as made by God in his image. This relates to the sanctity of life from its beginning to its natural end. We want people to experience life in all its fullness, as Jesus promised, and so we work to support the marriage of a man and woman for life, and the family as the basis of a stable society.

We are interested in what it is to be human in the 21st century, and this links in with our work on new technologies and stem cell research. It’s important to remember also that, while our principles haven’t changed significantly since CARE’s inception in 1983, as society changes at an ever increasing pace, the issues we research and campaign on will continue to develop.

EN: How did you personally become involved in CARE, and could you tell us a little bit about your background?

NL: My own background is in health and education. I started my working life as a teacher of Religious Education and during my time in the profession I also became a year head. In terms of my career within the NHS, my time there was mainly involved with managing volunteers, and with the media and Public Relations.

I would regard my experiences in education and health as valuable in relation to my time here at CARE. Indeed, speaking of CARE, I actually started off as a volunteer! I was appointed manager of the Caring Services Department of CARE. This role developed over time and, around seven or so years ago, CARE went through a major restructuring process. It was as part of this process that I was appointed CARE’s Chief Executive, a role which I occupy today.

EN: We’ve talked a lot about the past and present of CARE. What do you think the future holds for CARE, especially now when funding for some charities is becoming more pressured?

NL: What’s clear to me now is that CARE is needed now more than ever to provide a grace-filled Christian voice and to work for a better future for our children and grandchildren. It’s also worth remembering that we are living in a world that is moving faster and faster and will continue to do so in the future and, as it does so, a Christian presence will be required as much as it ever has been.

In saying this, however, as we respond to new emerging issues CARE should remain true to its roots and original ethos as we believe these biblical values will never change despite the fluid world we live in. It is also worth remembering that, some programmes we run now may cease functioning, not because of any lack of success but because they are no longer as applicable or helpful as they were in the past. We need ‘to understand the times’ and seize the opportunities God gives us.

An interview with Nola Leach, CE of CARE

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