Faith in Action

Four Christian-based community projects from Colchester, Edinburgh, Everton and Hull have recently been recognised at the Faithworks Awards Ceremony.

Malcolm Duncan, Leader of the Faithworks Movement said: ‘Every day the people involved in these projects give themselves away for others. Their work is sacrificial, sustained and committed. These people are the true leaders of the Faithworks Movement.’ Award winners included the Sunflower Garden Project based in Edinburgh.The pioneering Christian project, which has been running since 2003, works with children affected by drug and alcohol use in the families and seeks to break the pattern of intergenerational substance misuse.

The Big Buzz After School Club is based in Everton, the most deprived ward in the country in terms of income, health and employment.The project gives children from low income homes an opportunity to develop skills and abilities, build ambition and self-confidence. The Family Liaison Officer for the project works with the children’s families supporting parents back to work, helping families arrange re-housing and being an advocate with the bailiffs.

Hull Churches Home from Hospital Service is a free service, provided by 92 volunteers. It offers six to eight weeks of support for those coming out of hospital.The volunteers visit two to three times per week, providing assistance in shopping, listening, changing anti-embolism stockings, assistive technology and anything required to support a healthy recovery and return to independence. A total of 1,469 older clients were assisted to independence through convalescence in the past year.

The volunteers, from a range of churches across Hull, are all trained to NVQ level and are accompanied for 6 weeks initial mentoring and fieldwork experience before being given their own clients. The charity has service level agreements with Hull City Council Social Services and Hull Teaching PCT.
Colchester Nightstop received the Community Commitment Award donated and decided by Faithworks Members. This project, currently with a turnover of just £5,000, provides emergency accommodation for young people aged 16-25 who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets.

Volunteer host families welcome young people into their own homes for a short stay providing time to find more permanent solutions or family mediation. This has proven effective in preventing the long-term homelessness cycle. Rev Duncan added, ‘Our awards ceremony is like a tiny window on the massive world of Christian social action in the United Kingdom.
‘If you want to know if Christian faith makes a difference in our society today, don’t just take my word for it - ask the children in the Sunflower project in Edinburgh. If you want to know if faith matters, ask the vulnerable young people who find a bed in Colchester through the Nightstop.’