Portadown Rector travelling to 438 churches across NI in a tractor to raise funds for Sands NI

A Co Armagh Rector will probably be travelling to each nook of Northern Eire on a tractor in assist of a charity near his parish’s coronary heart.

Rev William Orr, the Rector of St Mark’s in Portadown, will embark on a 12 day journey throughout the nation in a New Holland tractor, visiting each Church of Eire constructing in NI.

After church service on Sunday, Might 22, the ‘Rector in a Tractor’ will set off to lift important funds forward of St Mark’s 2 hundredth anniversary in 2026.

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Chatting with Belfast Dwell, Rev Orr stated: “I come from a farming background – my brother and father are dairy farmers so I’m used to driving a tractor and nonetheless do.

“In 2022, I got here up with the concept yearly we are going to get folks to do 22 issues till the yr 2023 and I used to be chatting with practitioners and two of the ladies stated they’d do 22 chilly water dips.

“They requested what I used to be going to do and I had no concept after which thought I may perhaps do one thing in a tractor and somebody prompt that I go to all of the church buildings.”

Rev Orr has chosen to assist Sands NI on his fundraising journey because the charity’s co-ordinator, Steven Man, is among the church’s parishioners and he needed to assist their work throughout Northern Eire.

Sands NI helps anybody affected by the loss of life of a child, works to enhance bereavement care and funds analysis to save lots of infants’ lives.

“That reference to Sands NI may be very actual right here and 50 per cent of funds raised will go to the charity and the opposite 50 per cent will go to the church constructing fund forward of the 2 hundredth anniversary.

“I need to assist Sands as a result of they’ve completed wonderful work and proceed to take action for supporting bereaved households,” he defined.

Native farming provide store Burkes Of Cornascriebe has offered Rev Orr together with his mode of transport for the journey.

He continued: “I advised them what I used to be doing and that I’m a New Holland man myself and so they kindly agreed to offer me a tractor to do it in instantaneously.

“I am going to have an indication on the again to inform folks alongside the way in which what I’m doing with a QR code so that folks can donate in the event that they wish to.

“There are 438 church buildings – I did not realise there have been as many. I will be staying in a single day alongside the way in which and other people have kindly put me up and different nights, I will probably be staying in a B&B.”

Rev Orr has already raised over 50 per cent of his fundraising goal forward of Sunday’s begin and will probably be posting common selfies with the faces he meets alongside his journey on the Sands NI Fb web page.

“I begin in St Mark’s Portadown and I’ll finish in St Mark’s Portadown and I’m each nervous and excited, it might be a tiring jaunt however this stuff are value it due to the folks you’re supporting.”

If you need to donate, see here.

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