Here are Christian Aid with some more information about their activities at Greenbelt 2011…

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With two weeks to go till the Festival, Christian Aid is raring to go! We are filled with anticipation for this year’s festival. Drawing on the theme Dreams of Home we will be looking at why so many poor communities are forced to leave their homes because of changing climates and the devastation caused when harvests fail because of droughts or floods. We will be asking festival goers to imagine what the world could look like in 2030 and invite you to join us as we discover each other’s hopes and dreams.

New to campaigning? Then join the Greenbelt Campaigns Academy – workshops and advice with contributions from Christian Aid, Traidcraft and Cafod designed to help you become better campaigners and use your voice to help change the world.

The Christian Aid tent will be running its highly successful fair-trade café so bring the children to enjoy the Kids Crazy Crabs Corner, filled with great activities for them to get involved with. And finally we’ve got a great programme of events planned on our café stage too, including Martin John Nicholls performing his Beyond Belief and Once and For All roadshows. We look forward to seeing you there!

Greenbelt associates Church Urban Fund are throwing a reception in The Kitchen – their home throughout Greenbelt 2011 – and they invite you to attend!

The session is titled "Poverty In England – How should the church respond?" and is an opportunity to meet and quiz Tim Bissett (CUF CEO) and Paul Hackwood (CUF Chair). Church Urban Fund say:

With spending cuts and a struggling economy, deprived communities are facing major problems. Come along to hear how Christians are stepping up to the challenge.

The session takes place at 5pm on Friday 26th August, and is an excellent way to get your brain racing right at the start of this year's festival.

There will also be a chance to meet and talk to other people interested in tackling poverty, plus free wine and nibbles.

Entrance is free, but for catering purposes, please click here to register »

Join the Make Runaways Safe campaign to win tickets to an exclusive Iain Archer gig at Greenbelt.

Iain Archer has teamed up with The Children’s Society to support the Make Runaways Safe campaign. He will be playing an intimate gig at Greenbelt to highlight the issue of young people running away. If you want to win front row seats please join the campaign by texting “Archer” to 81400.

Iain said:

I was shocked to find out that 100,000 children run away each year. They need to be better supported as the risks on the streets are terrifying. The ‘Make Runaways Safe’ campaign certainly has my complete support.

Children who run away from home put themselves at risk. They often don’t have a bed for the night or a dependable person to trust. This leads to the possibility of being exploited for sex or exposed to crime, violence, alcohol and drugs.

That’s why The Children Society has launched Make Runaways Safe. And that’s why you need to join us in demanding that a safety net of support exists for every child who runs away from home.

So if you have a ticket to Greenbelt, please join the campaign today by texting "Archer" to 81400. The fifty successful entrants in the draw will be notified by text and should pick up two tickets each from The Children’s Society stall in the G-Source before the Sunday night gig.

The deadline for entries is 17.00 on Friday 19 August 2011.

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Here's Andy Jackson, Christian Aid’s Digital Content Editor (and Café Manager at Greenbelt), to fill us in on the work of the organisation’s digital team…

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Today is an appropriate day to be writing this. This morning, The Guardian wrote about David Cameron facing a revolt from Conservative MEPs over the UK coalition's environmental policies. The MEPs were considering a vote against the proposed toughening of Europe's climate targets.

A quick series of meetings with our campaigns team and European policy adviser and an email action was launched asking supporters to tell all MEPs that we’re not happy with this and the new climate targets should be passed.

Most days it’s business as usual when we create, update, refresh and renew the vast amount of content that spans the Christian Aid’s work across the world. But there are days when this has to be dropped and campaign actions devised or emergency appeals launched.

From updating our Facebook and Twitter accounts, to adding a new set of daily Bible readings to our new churches section, updating partner profiles, or adding supporters’ stories, no two days are the same, which makes this team’s job busy but challenging and fun as well.

Have a look for yourself at christianaid.org.uk and let me know what you think: ajackson@christian-aid.org

Here are Greenbelt associates The Children's Society with a little word about surveys…

The worst job in the world must be conducting street surveys. Standing there with a clipboard trying to catch the eye of very busy people who treat you like you must be selling something dodgy or are going to ask some really embarrassing questions about foot fungus can only make you feel like a social pariah. The trouble is, even though we don't like to fill in surveys, when we see a survey published that says 6 out of 10 men cut their toe nails with gardening shears, we cry, "Who are they asking? No one asked me!"

Well, no one from The Children's Society at Greenbelt will be touring the site with clipboards and surveys, but we do want some answers to questions. Nothing to do with feet, we want young people to tell us about what really matters.

We want to know what children and young people think about their lives, if they are happy, if they like the area they live in and if they think adults in their community treat them well. It is all part of a Good Childhood Conversation, a chance for people to reflect on modern childhood and hear about the findings of the Good Childhood Inquiry and the views of children and young people themselves.

No clipboard, but an online survey. Easy to complete, anonymous and quick. The results will first be shared with young people at an event in the Youth Village and then with adults in a Good Childhood Conversation seminar. We have been conducting similar events up and down the country in churches, schools and community centres. Young people's views always bring light and new ideas to the conversation and we want as many children and young people who are coming to Greenbelt this year to complete the survey.

All they need to do is go to childrenssociety.org.uk/greenbelt and spend ten minutes completing the survey. I promise, no questions about feet.

Click here to complete the survey »

Greenbelt partner Christian Aid have unveiled some brilliant materials for this year's Harvest appeal, including activities for kids in church, and worship resources.  Here's a bit of background to the project…

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Before and just after [cyclone] Aila, life was really difficult. We used to struggle. Now… we can earn more. I can buy schoolbooks for my children, proper food and clothes for the family.

When Cyclone Aila struck south-west Bangladesh in 2009, homes were destroyed and farming land was submerged under sea water. Combined with the longer-term effects of climate change, Cyclone Aila was too much for those whose homes were destroyed and whose lands were submerged in the storm. Many families were forced to leave their villages, becoming ‘floating people’ without roots and, in many cases, without a means of earning a living.

Selina Begum is determined to work for her family and community so that she will not be forced from her home in the same way. ‘I will always stay here and adapt to changes. This is my own land, this is my locality, I don’t want to move from my home.’

Selina now grows saline-resistant rice seeds on her plot of land in Satkira District. ‘I used to grow [traditional] rice, but the seeds don’t grow here anymore because the water is salty. I am now cultivating saline seeds which are adapted to grow in this environment.’ Her hopes for the future are bright, as she now has the promise of a healthy rice crop which she can sell for a good profit. ‘I have received veterinary training from Shushilan and there are no clinics in this area. So I want to start one so that I can support my family and my community.’

£5 could buy environmentally-friendly fertiliser for a farmer to grow saline-resistant seeds
£10 could buy saline-resistant rice seeds and fertiliser for a family to grow rice which can be sold for £140, an incredible profit!

Asha Bishwas also has renewed hope for the future of her family. After Cyclone Aila she discovered that her land had been covered by salt water and that crops would no longer grow properly. So with training from Shushilan, she now fattens crabs for sale at market, allowing her to earn enough to send her children to school.

‘I am grateful to Shushilan and Christian Aid for improving our lives. We used to struggle. Now we are supported.’

£16 could buy enough bamboo and plastic netting to build a protected pond to rear crabs
£21 could buy baby crabs for a family to fatten so that they can sell them when they are grown. In just two weeks the crabs can be sold for approximately £70.

To order harvest posters, story leaflets and giving envelopes for your church, visit christianaid.org.uk/harvest. You can also download children in church activities and worship resources to make your harvest service a celebration of new life from a salty land!

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Picture: Selina Begum harvests saline-resistant rice. Credit: Christian Aid/Genevieve Lomax

Christian Aid, a loyal partner of Greenbelt for over ten years, continues to do excellent work battling poverty around the world. If Christian Aid Week has inspired you to take action, here's what they're planning for the rest of 2011, and over the Greenbelt weekend…

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At the time of writing it’s Christian Aid Week. Hundreds of thousands of supporters are working hard together for an end to global poverty. As always it's inspiring to see what we can achieve together. We've had an exciting year since we saw you in Christian Aid's Tax Maze at Greenbelt last August, with our Trace the Tax campaign starting to make a real impact. Your local actions around the UK have opened doors that were previously shut, and companies are now talking to us about how tax can change the lives of the poor. We’ve also started to campaign to G20 leaders, asking them to end tax haven secrecy when they meet in France this November.

On the climate justice front, we’re continuing to campaign for the World Bank to get out of fossil fuels and instead invest in clean, reliable, affordable energy for all. We’re asking our government to require UK-listed businesses to report their carbon emissions. And we’re keeping the pressure on the government to stand firm on its emission reduction targets.

Just this month when the government’s climate commitments were looking shaky we launched an emergency email action to Prime Minister David Cameron. More than 2,500 Christian Aid supporters responded in just over 24 hours asking him to accept the advice of the independent Committee on Climate Change and commit to new emission reduction targets for 2025. This pressure made a real difference and we got the commitment we were after.

But we need to keep the pressure on the government to hold firm on its climate commitments. At this year’s Greenbelt we’ll be asking you what your ideal world would look like in 2030 if we really did have the “greenest government ever”. We’ll be looking at the big picture, and discussing what we need to do now to make sure can look forward to a future free of poverty, injustice and climate catastrophe.

For more information about Christian Aid’s campaigns visit christianaid.org.uk/actnow

Third Way is a monthly current-affairs magazine offering first-rate Christian comment on our culture. Professional, intelligent and inclusive, we have spoken to some of the most influential names in the arts: Thom Yorke, Tracey Emin, Maya Angelou, just to name a few. John Bell describes it as "a magazine for Christians who believe that faith means change".

Featuring interviews with newsmakers and thinkers, columnists with bite and humour, and reviews of the latest books, music and film, it’s brainy and irreverent, incisive and playful. Much like a certain festival you might have heard of…

Click here to view a sample copy.

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We're rapidly approaching this year's Christian Aid Week. Here's a piece from Greenbelt's partner Christian Aid about what's planned for this year…

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Up to 200,000 volunteers will be pounding pavements this week distributing thirteen million red envelopes for Christian Aid Week, which starts on Sunday (May 15 – 21).

Volunteers across the country will be checking everything is in place for the thousands of sponsored events, cake bakes and book sales which marks a week that has a key place in the church calendar and is one of the UK’s largest community fundraising events.

Last year supporters collected a total of £13.2 million to help Christian Aid tackle poverty. This year they hope to top that with events that range from the Bishop of Bedford becoming a barista for the day to the now legendary Edinburgh book sale – and much, much more.

And this year there’s something new you can do to show your unity with the world’s poor. On Sunday 15 May, we’re asking you to encourage your church to be part of a brand new ‘prayer moment’ that everybody can see.

Churches around the country will be praying for poor communities. We’re asking individuals to stop, reflect and text the word or phrase that’s in their heart to 70788. You’ll be able to see your words – along with others – appear on the Christian Aid website at caweek.org.

Anne Phipps, Head of Church Appeals at Christian Aid, said:

Our supporters constantly amaze me. Whether collecting door–to-door or doing 101 other exciting and amazing fundraising events, the commitment is phenomenal.

Are you passionate about making a positive difference to those living in poverty? Do you want to gain experience in the charity sector?

The Church Urban Fund is looking for three enthusiastic graduates to be part of its exciting internship programme based at its head office in Westminster.

Salary for each internship is £12,000 p.a.

Fundraising Intern

As a Fundraising Intern you will assist in bringing church fundraising appeals together, manage the Voluntary Speaker network, write copy for communications materials, plan and deliver church supporter events and provide administrative support for the fundraising team. It will give you an insight into charity marketing and fundraising.

Development Intern

As a Development Intern, your role will have an emphasis on research, grant management, developing relationships with projects, writing copy for the website, planning events, visiting projects and working alongside our regional partner organisations. It is an ideal opportunity for someone who wants to learn more about community development.

Small trusts Intern

As a Small Trusts Intern you will assist the Major Donor and Trusts Co-ordinator and the Director of Fundraising in implementing the Major Donor and Trusts strategy. This will include drafting fundraising proposals for small trusts, researching potential funders along with contributing to the overall success of the fundraising team.

Job descriptions, person specifications, and application guidelines can be found at – cuf.org.uk/about/jobs

The closing date for applications is 10th June. Date for interviews will be on 20th and 21st June.