CASH raised by churchgoers in south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will help pay for professionals to rebuild communities devastated by the Asian tsunami.

The Anglican bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Kenneth Stevenson, will next week launch his annual Lent Appeal, which normally raises up to £20,000 a year for worthy causes. Half the cash from this year’s appeal will go on helping the medium to long-term rebuilding efforts in countries affected by the disaster.

Donations from Christians and visitors to churches will pay for the Church Mission Society (CMS) to send a team of carpenters, construction engineers, project managers, childcare workers and healthcare professionals to the region for three months.

The appeal will be launched on Ash Wednesday (Wed 8 Feb) - just ahead of a special Tsunami Memorial Service to be held at Portsmouth’s Anglican cathedral. The special service, at 3pm on Sunday 13 February, will allow people to reflect on the tragedy. It will be a simple service remembering all those whose lives have been affected by the tsunami and will include the chance to join in Taizé-style reflective worship and to light candles in memory of those who died.

Bishop Kenneth said: “The sheer scale of the tragedy in the Indian Ocean felt overwhelming, but churchgoers and others have already shown generosity on an unprecedented scale to help out those affected. The emergency relief efforts are, of course, very important, but we wanted to find a project that would help the re-building efforts in the medium to long-term, when the tsunami is no longer making headlines. I’m pleased I can offer these kind of resources to help.

“We also felt that the time had come to hold a special service, now that the scale of the tragedy is truly known. Anyone is welcome, whether they are a Christian or from another faith or from no faith, whether they know someone who was affected or were horrified simply by watching the pictures on the TV. It will be a simple service that will give all of us space to reflect on the disaster and to lay our feelings before God, in the knowledge that he is with us in our suffering.”

The bishop’s Lent Appeal normally raises funds for one good cause within the Anglican diocese and one in the wider world. The other half of this year’s appeal will go to the Rainbow Centre in Fareham, which helps children with cerebral palsy from across the south to gain greater independence.

To contribute, churchgoers and visitors to churches are encouraged to use the Lent Appeal gift aid envelopes in their local parish churches – so that tax can be reclaimed on any gifts. Cheques should be made payable to the individual parish church, so that each church’s treasurer can send in one cheque for the total collected from their parish.