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£1.6M RAISED FOR HELPCENTRE

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15 January 2008

A Peckham helpcentre has raised £1.6 million in four months, in order to stop it going out of existence., writes John Prendergast...

The 'News' reported in October that the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) centre, based on Peckham Rye, had launched the appeal to buy the lease for the centre, and to secure their future.

The centre received the backing of Pele, who donated a signed Brazilian shirt that was auctioned. But the bulk of the money was raised by a sponsored climb up Ben Nevis by 50 volunteers, who braved the harshest of weather to climb UK's highest mountain.

Local boy and Premiership footballer Anton Ferdinand also showed his support, and states on the centre’s website that the centre was the kind of place that the area needs as crime in Peckham is on the increase.

Other events that helped reach their target were sponsored bike rides, car boot sales and a day selling doughnuts to passers by outside the centre.

Bishop Renato Cardoso, head of the UCKG in the UK said: "The Help Centre in Peckham is finally ours. It's a great victory and we did it when many people thought it was impossible. The next chapter in this challenge is the refurbishment of the Peckham building, which is in a derelict state. We are going to install a Training Centre, a Youth Centre that will focus on training, life skills and academic excellence. We are going to have a leisure space for young people, since the area is so plagued by problems with young people. I have a great joy and it was good for us to go into the New Year with this matter closed. The UCKG does not close down churches, we open them!"

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