“As we work together, we are able to reach many more people in need than we ever could reach on our own.”
That message from Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set the tone for a roundtable discussion in London focused on one clear priority: collaboration.
Senior representatives from leading humanitarian organisations joined Bishop Waddell in Central London for the discussion, including Sophie Britt of Save the Children International, Euan Crawshaw of ShelterBox and Tala Hassoun of CARE USA. The conversation was facilitated by Malcolm Adcock, the Church’s Director of International Affairs in London.
The event followed the publication of the Church’s 2025 Caring for Those in Need report, which highlights its worldwide humanitarian efforts. It provided a forum to discuss shared challenges and recognise the impact of collaborative work already underway.
Collaboration in a Changing Humanitarian Landscape
Participants emphasised that humanitarian need is rising in both scale and complexity. Conflict and economic pressures are contributing to more frequent and severe crises, while resources remain limited.
Against this backdrop, collaboration was identified as essential.
“No organisation can respond to the needs alone”, said Tala Hassoun of CARE USA, “partnership is at the core of how we operate—working with local organisations, governments and communities to ensure we can respond effectively and at scale.”
Euan Crawshaw of ShelterBox highlighted how the number of major crises has grown significantly over recent decades, increasing the urgency for coordinated responses. “There are now multiple crises happening at once, each with significant impact. That makes collaboration more important than ever,” he said.
Bishop Waddell reinforced this perspective, noting that working together with global charities enables the Church to extend its reach to more people in need than would otherwise be possible.
A Moment of Appreciation
Alongside discussion of global challenges, the roundtable also served as a moment to express appreciation.
Bishop Waddell paid tribute to each charity’s expertise, commitment and impact, recognising the vital work being carried out in some of the world’s most complex and hard-to-reach environments.
In response, Tala Hassoun said: “We are grateful for this opportunity and to be working together with the Church. When organisations are aligned on values, operational decisions become much easier.”
Hassoun added that this shared approach extends beyond individual projects. “We don’t only talk about our project successes but also about the challenges of what can be done better… and our relationship with the church has always been about problem-solving together,” she said.
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Reaching Communities Beyond the Headlines
Participants also reflected on the importance of ensuring support reaches communities that are often overlooked in global attention and funding.
“I think it’s a huge appreciation [to the Church] from our side’ said Sophie Britt of Save the Children, ‘both for encouraging us to collaborate… and for the focus of the Church on crises that aren’t in the news.”
She noted that while some emergencies dominate public awareness, many others receive little visibility despite significant need. “There are so many other crises that people don’t find or where it’s easy to not look at' she said. “We have a partner on our side who doesn’t discriminate… people that live in places that don’t get the attention.”
Euan Crawshaw echoed this challenge, pointing to regions such as the Sahel and parts of Central Africa where humanitarian needs remain severe but underreported. He noted that even crises widely covered in the media do not always receive the resources required to respond effectively.
“There are so many crises going on around the world,” he said, “places that, 20 years ago, would have been considered the worst crisis globally are now just one of many.”
Hope in Challenging Times
As the discussion turned to the personal realities of humanitarian work, participants were asked what motivates them when the scale of need feels overwhelming.
Tala Hassoun of CARE USA pointed to the power of lived experience. She spoke of families who, even in the most difficult circumstances, continue to endure and rebuild. “Knowing that, with our projects, those children are now warm and healthy… that keeps the team moving. Knowing that we have a mission. There's a reason why we're doing this,” she said.
Euan Crawshaw of ShelterBox emphasised the importance of impact, however small it may seem. “If we can still make that difference, then there’s even more of a reason to carry on,’ he said, ‘a drop in the ocean is still a drop—if it wasn’t there, that’s something missing.”
For Sophie Britt, hope is often found in moments of resilience and rapid response. She shared the example of colleagues responding within hours to a developing crisis, creating safe spaces where children could recover, play and begin to process what they have experienced. “Hearing those stories… is what gives me hope,” she said.
Bishop Waddell reflected on the example of Jesus Christ and the importance of serving one person at a time.
“In our belief, Jesus Christ is hope,’ he said, 'and because of Him—and because of the innate goodness of people, of the organisations that you all represent and of people from different faiths and backgrounds coming together—that gives hope. Despite all the challenges in the world, we see good things taking place. We see good people stepping up to make a difference and that can give us all cause to hope.”
As global needs continue to rise, participants agreed on one clear message: collaboration is essential.