This autumn the international church-based charity Us (formerly USPG) is challenging churches in the UK to use their gifts and talents to fundraise to benefit both local and global communities.

And to prove it is serious about the challenge, staff from the Southwark-based charity have formed a choir and will be busking at St Pancras International railway station during the morning and evening rush hour on Wednesday 2 October (8.15-9.30am and 5.30 – 6.30pm).

Us works with churches around the world to help transform lives through better health and education, more food security, safety for children, better training for leaders, justice for all, an end to gender-based violence and freedom to worship.

As part of the Us Harvest appeal this year, the charity is asking people to look at what they’re good at and see how those gifts might be used to make a difference locally and across the world through raising money to be split 50-50 between Us and a cause closer to home.

Fundraising co-ordinator Katharine Hamilton said: ‘We asked people to look at their own gifts and make use of them. So it seems only fair that we should take up the challenge also.’

‘We have a number of good singers in the Us office and putting together a choir seemed like a great challenge for Us.’

The choir will perform songs including O Happy Day & Lovely Day and there will be solos from outreach and engagement officer Heather Skull armed with her trusty guitar and a borrowed piano.

Kathy Wilkinson, choir leader and resources manager at Us, said:, ‘It’s been a great way of bringing people together. We’ve had fun rehearsing and we’re looking forward to the day itself.’