Friends of CRS - Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service

Friends of CRS - Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service Improving the lives of poor and marginalised people in India Initially, CRS provided emergency relief to provide food and clothing and mobile medical units.

CRS was established in 1971 by Canon Subir Biswas of St Paul’s Cathedral in Calcutta (or Kolkata, as it is now known), in response to the repercussions of the civil war in what is now Bangladesh. Thousands of refugees poured over India’s North East border into Kolkata, swelling existing slums, and creating new ones. CRS has subsequently evolved from providing relief into a non-governmental develop

ment organisation, which is what it is today. The aim is not to provide aid or give hand-outs, but to help people in need, regardless of faith. This is done through community committees. The aim is to build self-sufficient communities in slums and villages, by training and paying teachers to provide education, providing doctors to offer healthcare, and enabling the empowerment of women, in particular by teaching them skills which provide an income source. By these means, the communities are enabled to plan and manage their own progression. While CRS, by virtue of its link with St Paul’s Cathedral, is a faith-based NGO, it has no proselytising role. CRS is managed through the Executive Committee, the majority of whose members are laity, and both the members of CRS staff, and the people in the slums they seek to empower, are made up of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and people of no faith at all. The Friends of CRS is a UK registered charity which exists to support and provide funding for the work of CRS in Kolkata. Historically, the Friends have been, and continue to be, CRS’s largest single source of funds. The Trustees of the Friends (who are all unpaid volunteers) work closely with the Director and staff of CRS, through electronic communication and visits to Kolkata (the most recent of which was in November 2014).

Well that’s it, all done, what an experience.Having cycled up the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, cycling past thousands...
15/05/2026

Well that’s it, all done, what an experience.
Having cycled up the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, cycling past thousands of acres of olive trees, turning to vast plains of vegetation, to the acres and acres of vines, what a pleasure. Great to have a good companion which helps keep the momentum going and great camaraderie and moral boosting.
All in all a great adventure but not too keen to repeat just yet.
The weather was unseasonably cold, I only managed to get a t-shirt on for 2 hours the rest of the time I had on a fleece, even cycling up hill, maybe the wrong time of the year.
What I would change if were to do it again:
Plan to stay in towns with good hotels with restaurants, we did have some very, very local places to stay and did eat some interesting food.
On a positive note we have raised monies for a great charity.
The just giving funding site will be open for another week and then we will close ready for the next venture!
I thank everyone who has sponsored me and the charity.

It’s been a few hard days climbing however the weather has been king apart from the head winds! Now cycling in the plain...
10/05/2026

It’s been a few hard days climbing however the weather has been king apart from the head winds! Now cycling in the plains of Spain, plenty of olive trees, veg and wildlife. Enjoyed my cheesecake with a Rioja. Nearly half way.
Still time to donate, see below. Thankyou Paul

A good but hard day, 40ish miles climbing, 5ish miles on dirt tracks (hard). Hard morning tomorrow but should be ok rest...
06/05/2026

A good but hard day, 40ish miles climbing, 5ish miles on dirt tracks (hard). Hard morning tomorrow but should be ok rest of day, I

Starting the day at 4:30 and arriving at 1pm we had a good start. Tired and now going to bed for a 6ish start so not tra...
05/05/2026

Starting the day at 4:30 and arriving at 1pm we had a good start. Tired and now going to bed for a 6ish start so not travelling when fun is too hot.
Really big hills (mountain tomorrow)
Ta Paul

Servicing and packing up the bike for the trip Malaga to Bilbao on Tuesday 5th May.See my 1200km trip information on my ...
03/05/2026

Servicing and packing up the bike for the trip Malaga to Bilbao on Tuesday 5th May.
See my 1200km trip information on my just giving page, still time to sponsor and help the charity:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-doran-1

To raise funds for CRS, Paul Doran is taking on an incredible cycling journey from Málaga to Bilbao — covering approxima...
12/04/2026

To raise funds for CRS, Paul Doran is taking on an incredible cycling journey from Málaga to Bilbao — covering approximately 1,200 km!

Paul, along with his wife Michelle, will begin by cycling along the coast towards Granada, before turning inland to Albacete. From there, they’ll tackle the stunning (and challenging!) Sierra Nevada mountains, ride through the famous Rioja vineyards, continue on to Zaragoza, and finally complete their journey in Bilbao.
And here’s the real challenge — they’re doing it all on standard bikes with no assisted power.

This is an amazing effort for a great cause. If you’d like to support Paul and learn more about his journey, please visit his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-doran-1

Spring 2026 Newsletter from CRS From empowering women through skills and livelihoods to providing vital healthcare and e...
28/03/2026

Spring 2026 Newsletter from CRS

From empowering women through skills and livelihoods to providing vital healthcare and education, Cathedral Relief Service continues to transform lives across Kolkata and West Bengal.
Stories like Sanchita’s show how confidence, independence, and opportunity can change not just one life but entire communities.

Visitors describe CRS in one word: hope. And it’s easy to see why.

https://www.cathedralreliefservice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Spring-2026.pdf

04/02/2026

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