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History

Mark Phillips (Chair May 2018 to May 2025) had a vision of a place where people could come together to give their time, skills, knowledge and to meet their needs.

For example,

  • help and advice with problems
  • loneliness
  • isolation
  • practical support for people living with poverty
  • social supermarket
  • education and training
  • a quiet space for prayer

Key Principles

  • everyone has worth and value and is loved by and precious to God
  • everyone needs a place where they belong and can connect with other people;
  • everyone has needs and everyone has gifts;
  • people are transformed by the experience of giving and taking;
  • create an environment that is informal, inclusive and welcoming;
  • people should thrive not just survive;
  • by working collaboratively in partnership together we can create something greater and better than the sum of its parts;
  • the community is bigger than any particular group or individual and people will need to accept compromises;
  • we should never force our own faith (or lack of it) on others but always be prepared to speak about it if asked and to offer prayer.

In 2017 work began, and we were registered as a charity on 2 May 2018.

Although the practical expression of this vision has gone through many changes since then – as key partners changed and covid hit – the vision and principles remain.

We offer practical help, support and advice to address the specific needs of and problems and issues faced by those who are socially excluded.

‘Socially excluded’ means being excluded from society or parts of society as a result of one or more of the following factors:

  • unemployment;
  • financial hardship;
  • youth or old age;
  • ill health (physical or mental);
  • substance abuse or dependency including drugs and alcohol;
  • discrimination on grounds of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, belief, creed, sexual orientation or gender reassignment;
  • poor educational or skills attainment;
  • relationship or family breakdown;
  • homelessness or poor housing (that is housing that does not meet basic habitable standards;
  • crime (either as a victim of crime or as an offender rehabilitating into society).

We provide a space where anyone can drop-in for a chat, or to take part in the social and leisure opportunities we offer.

We also provide a space that supports physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.