Shipley Local Outreach Coordinator’s Report 2015

ANGUS MCNAB

In preparing this report on my work in 2015, I am very aware of several things:

  • All of the achievements associated with my post have been as a result of me working with teams of people. My input, while important, has only been part of the reason that things have happened.
  • My gratitude to the leadership and congregation of St. Peter’s Shipley for having the faith to commit significant resources to this role over the past two years and ongoing.
  • The achievements have very much been “on the shoulders of those who have gone before”; I have been able to build on the work of others who have prayed and worked to build bridges across congregational and denominational boundaries over many decades.
  • The apparent uniqueness of my role. Having now met with leadership teams from many of the larger Anglican churches in England, I am not aware of anyone else who is employed in a similar role.
  • The active prayer support of members of the Pray for Shipley group especially.

2015 was a year of much fruit borne largely from work done in establishing teams during 2014. Key developments included:

  • MARKET BIBLE STALL: The Shipley Market bible stall ran its first session at the end of July last year. The stall is manned largely by church leaders representing 5 local churches of 4 different denominations (as diverse as St. Teresa’s Catholic Church and City Valley Church) About 80 Bibles have been given away in 5 months. We are looking into buying large print (gospels/New Testaments?) and other languages in response to demand. More workers are getting involved. We are now having greater contact with other traders. We have recently introduced Prayer Request cards on the stall. I coordinate the running and development of the stall with Dr. Keith Jones of Shipley Baptist Church.

SHIPLEY FOOD PROJECT: The Foodbank centre, Cook Club and Saltaire Canteen were all started under the umbrella of a Community Interest Company, the Shipley Food Project, of which I am a director. The CIC was formed in late 2014 partly to create legal and financial separation between it and church(es) in Shipley but also to allow a focus for activities directed towards its joint aims of addressing issues of food poverty and food waste within Shipley and beyond.

  • THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SHIPLEY FOODBANK CENTRE at Shipley Baptist Church. This centre is part of Bradford North foodbank, a franchise of the Trussell Trust. Since opening in late February, the foodbank centre fed 283 people to the end 2015. Most of these people were offered prayer, one has since become a worker at the centre (and a contributor to the recent Hope on the Edge prayer vigil at Bradford Cathedral) and several are “regular visitors” (not always receiving food). Two new workers started recently with at least four more in the pipeline; this will bring us to a more sustainable level for 2016. Bradford North foodbank now have 83 referral agencies working with us. A wide range of people and organisations regularly donate food to the foodbank. In December, Philip Davies MP visited Shipley foodbank centre. This has led to an even closer working relationship with Philip and his office offering support to several clients. I coordinate the running of the sessions, assisted by a deputy from Shipley Baptist Church and two workers who assist me with putting together the rota and maintaining stock levels.
  • COOK CLUB: The Men’s Cook Club at St. Peter’s was established in November 2014. Since then we have seen regular attendance by 6-8 single, largely older, men, 2 of which are from St. Peter’s. Cath Bromwich the coordinator is introducing more diverse meals to accommodate the health issues of attendees. The Club provides an important social gathering for its participants as well as creating an informal environment in which cooking skills are shared and confidence in meal preparation promoted. We hope to offer training to people wanting to start similar clubs in Shipley and beyond in the near future.
  • SALTAIRE CANTEEN: The Canteen has gone from strength to strength during 2015. From only employing a part time front of house coordinator, it now employs two full time members of staff and works with over 10 regular volunteers to intercept food that would otherwise be wasted and convert it into meals served both in the café and beyond. Recently, Christchurch academy in Windhill have started a breakfast club twice per week using food from the Canteen. 1200 meals (at least) have been provided to marginalised and vulnerable people during the course of 2015. The Canteen also is the venue for a weekly Alpha course and a prayer breakfast open to all Shipley church leaders; this has now been running for over nine months.
  • CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH: The idea for a Christmas Day lunch came from a number of conversations with Foodbank centre workers and people connected to the Canteen. I helped to organise several meetings from October onwards to organise invitations and the logistics of providing a full Christmas dinner, again at Shipley Baptist Church. On the day about 30 guests were served by about 20 volunteers from 5 or more different churches. There was a great atmosphere and much positive feedback from both guests and volunteers. “What a warm welcome and delicious Christmas dinner, Thank you all very much. (I enjoyed) a convivial Christmas this year. It was great!” (Feedback from one guest). “Just wanted to say thanks for the privilege of attending yesterday's lunch. It was lovely walking passengers to and from the minibus but best of all was to hear R's story. She enjoyed the day, was grateful for the day and remarked how nice it was to have someone to chat with. Very blessed by the experience. Thanks to you and the team whose vision this was and for the hard work and planning that went into it. Humbled and blessed to benefit from and to be a small part of it.” It is very likely that we will organize a similar lunch this year if possible.
  • EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMME: In 2014, St. Peter’s formally partnered with the Lighthouse Group Charity to run the Early Intervention Programme in West Shipley. We have had some successes but also some challenges. At the moment, we have three coaches currently working in 2 schools. Two more coaches both of whom are in leadership of different churches locally are about to be trained. Over the past few months we have enjoyed better relationships with staff at both schools as the programme and volunteers have become more established. We would like to be in a position to meet the demand in both of the schools we currently work with and promote the programme to other local churches. I work with the EIP coordinator to support her in her role.
  • FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES:
  • FAITH ACTION AUDIT: This is due to commence in February and is part of the national audit being organised by the Cinnamon Network. I am working as the local Champion with a small team of assistants to identify key people in each church/organisation and promote the audit locally. The results of the audit will provide the basis for a local directory of faith-based services as well as becoming part of a report to promote the positive role of faith and faith-based organisations in encouraging community cohesion.
  • NEIGHBOURHOOD PRAYER NETWORK: I continue to act as the coordinator for the NPN within BD18, promoting weekly prayer for local streets.
  • STRAWBALE COMMUNITY CABIN: This is an ongoing project. I am working with a small team of people to organise the construction of a cabin within the grounds of Windhill Community Centre. We plan to involve the community at all stages of the work and hope it may ultimately result in increasing the employability of some local people.
  • FURNITURE LOAN SCHEME: I am working on a proposal for this with leaders from St. Paul’s, Christ Church and ARCH. The aim of the scheme is to lend donated furniture to people who cannot afford to buy such things until such time as their circumstances change sufficiently to be able to purchase their own goods. We aim to partner with several local organisations to meet the storage and distribution requirements of the scheme.
  • BREAKFAST CLUBS: Hopefully more clubs can be started in other local schools, using a similar model to that being developed with Christchurch Academy.
  • PROMOTING LOC ROLE: I am involved with an interview at Thornbury Centre on 22nd January. I have also recently provided details of my role to a church leader from Basildon who I met at the National Larger Anglican Churches Consultation event last year.
  • WELFARE REFORM: I continue to be an active member of Welfare Reform Impact Bradford; as part of this, I have had an input into the Synod debate on the Sanctions regime (February 2016) and the debate last year at General Synod about Bedroom Tax. I am a member of the Food Poverty Network group and was part of the team organising the Hope on the Edge vigil and conference last year. I recently was filmed by an independent film maker as part of a piece about Citizen’s Income.
  • BELIEVE IN SHIPLEY MISSION: While I am not directly involved with the organisation of the mission, I have been involved with discussions about its running and I will play an active role during the 9 days of the Mission itself.

3)CHALLENGES:

  • FINANCE: I put forward what was ultimately an unsuccessful large bid for funding early last year. I have no other current bids in the pipeline. Mission Grant funding from (the former) Bradford Diocese is in its final year this year. I have made some informal approaches to other SCT church leaders and aim to pursue this more actively in the coming months.
  • SUPPORT GROUP: Several people from St. Peter’s offered towards the end of last year to support me in my role but unfortunately as yet we have not been able to all meet together to take this further. Again, I aim to take this forward as soon as possible. The group will primarily help me with funding bids and communication.

COMMENTS ON THIS REPORT

Rev. Mark Watson, Christchurch and St. Margaret’s

“I have found Angus’ passion and enthusiasm and his outworking of his faith to be inspiring, and his role has proved to be catalytic in advancing a number of initiatives in the areas he is involved with, several of which impact on areas of my ministry.

He is an excellent team member, and shows an aptitude to listen to and take on board opinions of others and is very constructive in his advice.

He clearly has a heart for prayer and I think that his commitment to this, with support from others, along with his areas of ministry have helped inject some life into SCT, galvanising local churches into a greater degree of unity and cooperation. I do recognise though that the ‘Believe in Shipley’ initiative has also had a significant impact in this regard.”

Rev. Dr. Keith Jones, Shipley Baptist Church

“Angus has the right sort of spirit and approach to enable people to network and then meet to cooperate together in various important ventures to proclaim the Gospel by action in the Shipley area. He is a good conversationalist willing to listen to an idea and work with it, always in a spirit of cooperation and team work.”

“He appears to be able to build teams of people to run these various initiatives. So, one couple who initially offered a small amount of time to the Food Bank distribution are now highly committed and presenting regular reportsto SBC on Food Bank issues. Angus has been the person who helped them develop in this ministry.”

Shuna Hartley, Bradford North Foodbank

“Angus was the key person to encourage me and help me think through how to proceed in those early stages of engaging with local churches across the Bradford North area. He made a huge difference, enabling that initial, wobbly first step of faith into what has become a significant ecumenical project in North Bradford.

Now that Bradford North Foodbank is up and running, Angus is a key member of the management team. His insights are always useful; his enthusiasm has been a real encouragement; his leadership & communication skills with the Shipley FBC volunteers are an example to us all, his local & national knowledge is extremely useful for networking.”

Cath Bromwich, Cook Club Coordinator

“Firstly, I would like to pass on my thanks to St Peter's Church and Shipley Food Project for their support of the Men's Cook Club. It has been great to have this. It has seen a fulfillment of a hoped for goal for me, and the way that the men keep turning up is demonstration to the fact that it is needed and wanted in their lives. There are social and food related reasons to this.

Angus is a great catalyst for things to happen. I have experienced him as kind and consistent, compassionate to those we work with and appropriate.

One of the best things about moving forward a piece of work with Angus is that we both have the same spiritual wish that God's Kingdom be increasingly demonstrated to participants. The one thing I would really like, and it is Angus's wish too I understand, is for more proactive involvement from church members, and opportunities for participants to experience more of God's love and saving help for them. The group would not be in existence without Angus's support.”

Rev. Sue Hope, St. Paul’s

“Just to say that I am delighted with Angus's work. He integrates wellwith us at St Paul's and with SCT. Heworks collaboratively and consultatively. He is a humble and loving man with a passion for social justice. “

Mrs. Maureen Pointon, Early Intervention Programme Coordinator

“ I have found Angus helpful and supportive at all times particularly on visits to school which involved discussions withstaffabout the role of Early Intervention and the need for coaches to have a suitable space in which to work with the children allocated to them. Although each coach and myself as coordinator are encouraged to have a Prayer Partner I have really appreciated the knowledge that Angus has Early Intervention at heart and that he would be available should there be a need for time to discuss any issues which may have arisen and to pray about them as well. To knowthat there is a designated person in the church is helpful and encouraging.”