African aid

I am collecting funds to support a youth Aids conference in Uganda. We need to raise funds to feed and accommodate 1 000 to 1 500 young people for five days (i.e. a rush mat for sleeping on a bottle of water and a meagre meal each day).

The conference organiser is a totally unrelated Ugandan pastor and I am attempting to raise funds for him through various UK churches/Christian groups – and of course anyone else who feels moved to help defeat Aids.

There is apparently a problem for churches claiming gift aid on restricted donations for projects outside the church’s main activities. This seems to be specific to churches as other charities are able to claim gift aid on such donations. Can anyone explain the problem and how it can be overcome?

My experience of the Christian church is that the relief of poverty is...