Four Bishops from the Midlands have given up part of their salaries for Lent and agreed to live on the minimum wage for 40 days.
Jonathan Gledhill, the Bishop of Lichfield, persuaded his colleagues to live on the £5.05 per hour and donate the difference between that and their normal hourly rate to helping youngsters.
Gledhill is supported by the Bishop of Shrewsbury, Alan Smith, the Bishop of Stafford, the Gordon Mursell, and the Bishop of Wolverhampton, Michael Bourke.
Half the cash raised from the Lent appeal will go to schemes in Shrewsbury, Stoke and Wolverhampton. The remainder will be donated to overseas projects.
Gledhill said: “This year’s appeal will help young people affected by poverty, unemployment, homelessness, drugs, physical and sexual abuse, prostitution, and HIV/Aids.”
Projects in Brazil, Moscow, Uganda and Tanzania will all get cash from the appeal.
The average salary for a bishop in the UK is £28,000.
