A PIONEERING anti-poverty charity launched by the Archbishop of York should become global and one day help a million people, he has said.

Dr John Sentamu said Acts 435, set up two years ago next week, had now helped more than 1,500 people through donations of more than £60,000 – but he said he wanted it to continue to grow and become an international force for good.

The charity, which takes it name from the Bible passage in Acts encouraging people to share and give to the needy, allows people to donate towards particular individuals in need, such as impoverished families without a cooker, young parents struggling to afford school uniforms or unemployed people in need of debt relief.

Requests are processed and approved by churches around the country and uploaded to the charity website, where donors can give to recipients of their choice, or for use as the administrators see fit. The money is sent via an advocate for the person in need.

Dr Sentamu said the charity’s activitites had doubled in the past year, and the charity received its 800th request for help ten days ago. Dr Sentamu said he was pleased that the 800 milestone coincided with the York800 celebrations, and that and the charity’s anniversary would be marked with a reception tonight at the University of York .

Speaking to The Press yesterday, Dr Sentamu said: “I want a million people to have been helped and a million pounds. That is my dream. Think of a million people – I know they are out there and I know they are in great need and I know they are not scroungers.

“The response so far has been exciting but we are hoping one day it will go global, and that people will say that Acts 435 is something helping people around the world. The internet is funny – you can write something and then the next day it can be happening.”

There are 85 churches using the charity, which also registered in Scotland last year.