If you have joint sponsorship and your partner pays tax then they can tick the Gift Aid box, provided that your donations are paid either from your partner’s account or from a jointly held or named account (i.e. the payment is from the ‘Gift Aider’).

If you no longer pay sufficient UK Income or Capital Gains Tax, please let us know on 01932 836490 and we’ll stop claiming Gift Aid on your donations. If you change your name or address, please just let us know.

To qualify for Gift Aid, you must pay an amount of UK Income and/ or Capital Gains Tax, which is at least equal to the amount that the charities you support will reclaim on your donations in each tax year (6 April to 5 April). If you pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in the tax year, it's your responsibility to pay any difference to HMRC. Gift Aid is claimed at 25p per £1 of your support. Taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify for Gift Aid.

Gift Aid doesn’t cost you a penny and allows us to reclaim the tax on your donations from HMRC, providing that you’re a UK taxpayer.

While your sponsored child is young, please be patient. Over the next few years they will write to you using a range of letter templates which cover different questions and writing prompts. They may choose to express themselves through drawing or colouring.

As your sponsored child reaches their teenage years their letters may become more conversational. They may even start writing to you in English if that isn’t their first language.

Asking clear, short questions is a great way to show an interest in your sponsored child’s life and get to know them. Be sure to also answer the questions they ask in their letters as they want to get to know you too.

Remember, all children and young people are different and not all of them will enjoy letter writing. If this is the case, please don’t be discouraged. Your letters are an amazing way to build self-esteem and will be treasured even if your young person can’t express themselves in the same way.

Children love receiving letters from their sponsor, but in the same way that we struggle, it can be hard to write back to someone they’ve never met.

Discover what you can expect from your child’s letters by age.

Toddlers and young children

If your sponsored child is very young, your letters are primarily to his or her caregiver. While your sponsored child may be too young to read and write, your letters are a wonderful way to encourage their the whole family. As your sponsored child grows, they may start expressing themselves through drawings, handprints or colouring in.

Primary aged children

At this age, Children are just beginning to learn to read and write, so you can expect their letters to be simple. As writing is a new skill, please be patient. Over the next few years your sponsored child will write to you using a range of letter templates which cover different questions and writing prompts. Your sponsored child may be too young to write and if this is the case a staff member from the church will sit with them and help write down their answers.

Teenagers and young adults

By the time your sponsored child reaches their teenage years you may notice that their letters becoming more conversational. They may even start writing to you in English if that isn’t their first language.

Remember, all children and young people are different and not all of them will enjoy letter writing. If this is the case, please don’t be discouraged. Your letters are a powerful way to build self-esteem and will be treasured even if your young person can’t express themselves in the same way.