Each year, MWiB uses the interest from its Welfare Fund to make grants to local projects around the UK, fostering an active interest and involvement in social and community action. Funding is available for projects which meet a local social or community need, particularly within margnialised groups, and for individuals or groups seeking funding for imaginative new areas of work.
TAKE & MAKE PROJECT Kirkham Methodist Church Lancashire District received £600 in March 2022
The Take & Make free food table continues to run every week on a Thursday afternoon. We now have a core of regulars who visit every week and really appreciate the extra food which helps to supplement their strained budgets.
The food and other items come from the twice weekly pickup from Aldi @ Mill Farm through the charity Neighbourly, and the collection from Wesleys at Church Road. It means that we never know from one week to the next just what items we will be given. In the run up to Christmas we got boxes and boxes of mince pies from Aldi. They were obviously last year’s stock which was coming up to its sell by date, but they were very popular with our clients. We get lots of broken chocolate eggs, bunnies and other speciality chocolate items; it is still chocolate and still very edible and always goes very quickly!
Through the free food table, we’ve built up some strong relationships with people who live around the church. Many now come into our warm hub, which has also proved very popular. We open the Church Welcome Hub and offer free hot drinks, free Wi-Fi and lots of chitchat. The warm croissant, which we offer if we have a glut on the food table, are very popular. As were the warm mince pies at Christmas!
This started as a ‘Warm Welcome’ initiative, following many people’s concerns about the cost of running their home heating over the winter period. However, I believe that this should continue as the community engagement is invaluable. Last week we received a visit from Anna, our local Community Police Support Officer, and Jane, the Co-op community Champion. Both were very impressed and were keen to support us in whatever way they could.
Our Take & Make project was set up with the support of Wesleys at Church Road and is a great way for Kirkham Methodist Church to give something to the community, and that aspect is regularly commented on by those visiting the free food table, and people obviously appreciate what we are offering. It has also been great seeing a number of the ‘clients’ joining us for some of our church services.
(Gillian Womersley Take & Make Leader)
SCA grants can be applied for throughout the year and will be considered at regular meetings by the Finance Task Group.
Further information and specific criteria on the Gifts & Grants page or download the application form here: Social-Community-Action-Grant-updated
MWiB also provides Empowerment Gifts, Enabling Grants, and small Discretionary Grants, and a Pastoral care Fund. See our Gifts & Grants page for details.
