The questions we hear most
Frequently asked questions
Sponsorship, CarePoints, Gift Aid, and how we work. If your question isn't here, just ask — a real person reads every message.
Sponsorship
How much does it cost to sponsor a child?
£40 a month. It covers the full cost of caring for one child at a CarePoint: meals, school fees, uniforms and tutoring, medical care, counselling, and Christian teaching.
How is my sponsorship money used?
100% of your monthly gift goes to your child's CarePoint. If you're a UK taxpayer and add Gift Aid, the 25% we reclaim is what funds the UK office. Our trustees and annual filings are on the Charity Commission register.
Does each child have just one sponsor?
Yes — one sponsor per child. When we match you, it is with a child who doesn't yet have a sponsor.
Can I choose which child I sponsor?
You can tell us if you'd prefer a boy or a girl, and which country or CarePoint you'd like to support, or that you don't mind. We don't ask you to pick a child from a set of profiles. Our CarePoint staff know the children best, and they know who most needs a sponsor, so they make the match and we send you your child's details.
Where can I sponsor a child?
You can sponsor a child in any of the seven countries where Christ's Hope works: DR Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. If you're not sure, just ask: we'll tell you where children are waiting for a sponsor right now, and talk it through with you.
What happens after I say yes?
We ask our CarePoint staff to match you with a child, and send you their details. Then we help you set up your £40 a month, by standing order or online by Direct Debit or card.
What about the children who don't have a sponsor?
They receive the same care as every other child at the CarePoint. Sponsorship is how that care is paid for — it doesn't decide who gets it.
Will I hear from the child I sponsor?
Yes. Your child will know your name, and you can write to them. They'll write back with help from their carers, and you'll hear from them at times through the year, such as Christmas and Easter.
Can I change or cancel my sponsorship?
Yes, at any time. There's no minimum term. Just email hello@christshope.uk or send us a message, and we'll help you stop it, whichever way you give.
What happens to my child if I have to stop?
Your child stays in the programme. No child is taken out of a CarePoint because a sponsorship ends. We look for a new sponsor, and other funding covers their care in the meantime.
The CarePoint Model
What is a CarePoint?
A CarePoint is a centre in a local community where vulnerable children get meals, help to stay in school, medical care, counselling and Christian teaching. They keep living with their own family, which may be grandparents or other relatives. Every CarePoint is run by local staff.
How are children chosen for a CarePoint?
Our CarePoints are set up in the communities of greatest need, and the local staff there find the children who need our help most.
Why not orphanages?
We believe the best place for a child is with family, even if that's a grandmother, an aunt or an older sibling. The CarePoint helps the family care for the child, so the child stays with the people and the place they know.
Can I visit a CarePoint?
Yes, visits are welcome. Please contact us well ahead so we can arrange it with the CarePoint staff and tell you what's needed.
Giving & Gift Aid
Is Christ's Hope a registered charity?
Yes. We're registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales under charity number 1098630, and registered as a company under number 04742271. You can view our register entry: trustees and annual filings are public.
What is Gift Aid and can I claim it?
If you pay UK income tax or capital gains tax, Gift Aid lets us reclaim 25p on every £1 you give at no cost to you. When you give online, tick the Gift Aid box in the same form. For a standing order, make our short Gift Aid declaration online: one tick covers the past four years and everything you give from now on.
How can I pay? Can I give by bank transfer?
For monthly giving, including sponsorship, a standing order costs us nothing: email hello@christshope.uk and we'll send our bank details and a Gift Aid declaration. Or give online on our Donate page, one-off or monthly, by Direct Debit, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and add Gift Aid in the same form. You can change or stop a monthly gift whenever you like, using the link in your receipt. A larger gift by bank transfer? Email us and we'll send the details.
Organisation
Where does the UK office fit into the global charity?
Christ's Hope UK is a registered charity in England and Wales, and part of Christ's Hope, an international Christian ministry. Christ's Hope International runs the CarePoints in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In the UK we raise support for that work: we find sponsors, partner with churches, and share news from the CarePoints.
Do you have a safeguarding policy?
Yes. Our trustees have adopted a safeguarding policy. If you'd like to know more about it, email hello@christshope.uk.
How do I contact you?
Email hello@christshope.uk or call 0300 4000 104. Our postal address is Allia Future Business Centre, King’s Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2HY.
Still have questions?
We'd love to hear from you — any question, big or small.