THE Anglican publisher and mission agency the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) has announced the launch of an exclusive black-tie club for its biggest donors.

The 1698 Club, named after the year of Society’s foundation, is open to members who donate more than £1698 a year to the charity.

A launch event was hosted at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, by the Principal, the Revd Dr Ralph Waller. About 24 members are expected to join in the first year, which will be celebrated at another black-tie dinner in January 2017.

The chief executive of SPCK, Sam Richardson, said last Friday that he hoped the club would help to raise funds and “gather friends” who were in a position to help the Society.

Donations will go to the SPCK’s Prison Fiction project, which helps hundreds of prisoners improve their reading and literacy, as well as the SPCK assemblies programme.

SPCK is thought to be the oldest Anglican mission agency in the world. It was founded by the Revd Thomas Bray to develop the faith of Christians worldwide through education and literature. Since SPCK acquired the InterVarsity Press in October, it is now one of the largest Christian publishers in the UK.

Next month, the Society will launch Prayers on the Move to encourage prayer and “spirituality” across all faiths and none. The initiative is expected to reach more than five million people through more than 3500 posters on the London Underground and the Newcastle bus network.

There will also be a Prayers on the Move app, website, booklet, and special countrywide events. The campaign was partially funded by donations from SPCK members.