A Tin of Sardines 

A tin of sardines. Hardly exciting. Does not even sound very biblical. I mean, it is hardly six loaves and two fishes. Are you sure you meant sardines? Yes, sardines. A tin, well actually a few tins, of sardines. 

And some tins of tuna. Just fish – was it a Friday? Well, no, also tins of ham, sausages and pie tins. Just meat and fish, then? No – tins of casserole, curry, baked beans, carrots, sweetcorn, peas, even canned fruit. Okay, okay, lots of tins. Including the sardines? Yes. 

Lots, in total about 250 tins, being nearly one from each person who works in the office. Lots, in fact, when stacked in used paper ream boxes behind your desk, getting ready to be shipped out to CIRDIC (Churches in Reading Drop in Centre). 

And so passed the 2015 Charity Harvest Tin Appeal for the HMRC office in Reading. A record year of tins, including sardines. It may not feed all the homeless in Reading for a year, but as we know from a few loaves and a couple of fish, God is bigger and more powerful than our human counting. 

So why not set a diary reminder to organise a charity harvest tin appeal next year in your office/location?  And remember, bring in a tin of sardines. 

By Magnus Smyly, with permission from Reading at Work