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Gorleston church funded for community work
Gorleston church funded for community work
St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston, whose mission is to be a transforming presence in its community, has been awarded funding of £97,000 over the next three years to support its work
Situated in the heart of Magdalen Square in Gorleston, St Mary Magdalene church is rooted in the estate it serves and which is currently home to almost 11,000 people. This fresh funding of £97,000 over three years has been awarded by the Mercers Charitable Foundation as part of its work to support churches and other faith or community-based organisations that strengthen communities and families
In terms of deprivation levels as assessed by the Church Urban Fund, this parish ranks in the bottom 10% nationally and is the sixth most deprived in the Diocese of Norwich. These statistics show that residents experience higher than average levels of loneliness and isolation, alongside multiple challenges in relation to deprivation linked to income levels, employment rates, life expectancy and other metrics
Revd Matthew Price is the vicar at St Mary Magdalene Church and reports: “On an average week, there’s probably 200 people coming through the building, maybe 100 volunteers regularly volunteering per month, and whilst the church funds contribute to helping that happen, we are in need of support to go beyond that. I think the Mercers could see the exciting things that we see on a day-to-day basis and could see the reach that our community work is having. Our model is built an intentional journey that can see a resident grow from a place of distress and distrust to a place of participation and progression”
The church community frequently helps people to access crisis support, including food provision and services to help with homelessness. They also offer opportunities to local people to help build resilience, such as volunteering. Each week the Bridge serves a three-course meal to around 60 people. The church also runs an open house drop-in, a parent and toddler group, over 60s group and a youth club
Revd Matthew added: “We’re blessed with a great staff team and this funding will enable us to continue. It will hopefully give us real sustainability in what we’re aiming to do here”
Story and photo courtesy of Diocese of Norwich. Read the original story here: https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/funding-awarded-to-help-sustain-community-engagement-in-gorleston/
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