United Reformed Church community project awards

For over ten years, Soupermums has supported over 900 babies and their parents/ carers. It provides care, support, encouragement and love to parents at a time of significant change in their lives following the birth of a child(ren).

Located in one of the poorest cities in the UK, Longton URC congregation set out to be more active within its community, taking it one step at a time. It has recruited volunteers to share the Bible with children in a local primary school and another team distributes tinned and packaged food provided by the Foodbank warehouse.

The Forget Me Not café provides a safe, welcoming space for people with dementia and their carers.  The café has been running twice a month since August 2024 and aims to become a hub for information, signposting and advice about dementia resources in the area.

Vine URC’s gardening club was formed in 2023 with residents from the Malachi project, a pop-up hostel in Ilford run by the Salvation Army for previously homeless people.

The Barn is a community cafe run by Livinston United Parish Church and staffed by volunteers in The North Barn of Carmondean Community Centre, Nether Dechmont, Fells Rigg, where a warm welcome, fresh coffee, delicious home baking, soup and lunch are offered in two locations. The project uses surplus food from a local supermarket that would otherwise go to waste, both in the kitchen and that are made available to those visiting the cafe. Also much of the produce is grown on the allotments of local people. 

The Community Food Hub has developed organically over the past four years. Through the COVID pandemic, the church decided to equip the reception area at the side of the church to form a space for a food hub. Along with a cafe in the church, due to the increasing amount of surplus food donated, the church added a market stall cart, which was donated to them, which sits outside the church offering food to anyone, aiming to reduce food waste. The hub supports around 80 families regularly through food deliveries, via a team of more than 40 volunteers. It is committed to offering an open-door policy, where service users feel welcomed.

Lancaster Road URC in Enfield has been running a Food Hub since the beginning of December 2020. It operates a fresh food distribution on Wednesday mornings, by a team of volunteers who serve each week on a rota system. Fresh food is purchased from a local supermarket and Greggs the Bakers donate their surplus food at the end of day on Tuesdays. It is also registered with ‘Neighbourly’ which liaises about surplus food donations available at local supermarkets. It receives food from Aldi and Sainsburys which is collected weekly and delivered to the church by a volunteer.

Sherborne URC’s The Pod Community Shop, located on Sherborne High Street, serves both tourists and locals, particularly those in nearby disadvantaged areas. The shop offers a variety of services, including a community fridge, a Christian bookshop, and a donation hub. It supports local causes by selling items like jewelry, with proceeds benefiting charities. Run by the church on a rent-free basis, it has become a vital, well-loved community resource, with some service users becoming volunteers and donors themselves.

TAG Café provides a safe and transformative space for people with learning difficulties, allowing them to thrive through arts, games, and practical skills

The Open Church project at Heaton Moor United Church creates an inclusive, welcoming environment for all ages, from young children to older generations. It emphasizes openness without pushing for church attendance, offering a space for engagement. The project's impact is evident, with some participants now considering it their church.

Darwen URC have been commended on their bold and ambitious DARE initiative, “Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise”. The scale of the project and the breadth of assistance offered is a real lifeline to the 200 people currently being assisted by the scheme run entirely through volunteers and strong partnerships.

The Causeway Community Garden at St John’s URC Warrington, has created a beautiful space that anyone in the community can come together to share and enjoy; or be part of the team of volunteers and tends to the garden, nurturing the varied flora and fauna, fruit and vegetables. 

Wooler URC have created a ‘Warm Welcome’ initiative which is open and free to all to access. It is a warm, safe space where people from the local, rural community can come together to enjoy a chat over a warm cuppa and a cake and enjoy a warm meal together, tackling issues of isolation, and the cost-of-living crisis.

St Columba’s United Reformed Church in Wolverhampton was recognised with a Community Project Award for their Swap Shop. The project provides free school uniforms for residents of the city and beyond. Having the correct uniform not only enables children to take up placement in their chosen school, but knowing they are blending in with their peers gives them confidence in a new environment.

Mental health support is vital for many people, but access can be confusing or difficult for vulnerable people, St Andrew’s Methodist/United Reformed Church of Skipton wanted to address this head on. The Wellbeing Café, hosted at the church every Thursday afternoon, provides a welcoming space, support and understanding for people experiencing mental health problems.

Members of Roker United Reformed Church launched this ambitious initiative over eight years ago to deliver a range of enriching services to those in need. Working with partners across many different backgrounds and faiths, Roker URC has built an impressive programme that supports the physical and mental health of its entire community through its social outreach.

The prosperous ‘Spire Cafe’ established 25 years ago in the heart of Farnham town centre, providing provides a place of welcome and acceptance impressed the judging panel, and proved to be a worthy winner with the judging panel. The initial vision behind the café was to welcome and help members of the local community and provide outreach to people of all ages; to help fulfil the social and development needs of vulnerable adults, and to provide a base that can be open regularly for those in need of help or social engagement.

‘Repair Cafe’ impressed the judges as it was set up pre Covid-19 in response to a genuine desire within the Chorley area to conserve cherished items that would otherwise be thrown away. 
The main aim of ‘Repair Café ‘is to help reduce waste going to landfill or recycling by repairing items that would otherwise be deemed unrepairable. 

The Food Project has helped a variety of people who were in need including some of the most vulnerable, such as those who were shielding, people coping with unemployment, or domestic violence, as well as refugees and asylum seekers. Surplus food is collected every week from Fare Share in Birmingham as well as Greggs and other supermarkets when available. 

‘Sanctuary Cafe’ which has offered local residents a family-friendly haven since 2009 and impressed the judging panel; it not only provides high quality food, and drinks, it also offers a safe place to reflect, connect and learn. 

‘Messy Vintage’ impressed the judges for supporting individuals, specifically those with memory loss and dementia. The project which grew out of the enthusiasm and initial research undertaken by church members Ann and Bethany Davies (mother and daughter), resulted in the first session taking place in summer 2019.

“The Meeting Place” receives Community Project Award for initiative to help combat isolation. A project which aims to integrate isolated people within their local community has won a coveted national award in recognition of the work it undertakes...

The “Secret Garden” receives a Community Project Award for transforming unused land into community space. A project which aims to provide a safe, supportive, inclusive environment in which local groups or individuals can help nurture and develop...

“TrinityLearning” receives Community Project Award for work with local schools. A project which aims to facilitate the development of spirituality in Abingdon schools has won a coveted national award in recognition of the work it undertakes...

The “ASK Centre” receives a Community Project Award in recognition of the services provided to Rhyl residents. A project which seeks to help the community grow and thrive by tackling the main causes of poverty...

Families Matter, a community initiative to support young families and children based at Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Hythe, was announced as overall winner of the Community Project Awards 2016 and picks up prize money of £4,000.

Feel Better, Enjoy Life More, which operates from Broadway United Reformed Church has received a Community Project Award for its vital work within the community and a cash prize of £2,500.

The Charity Shop, which operates from Beeston Hill United Free Church, has received a Community Project Award for its vital work within the community and a cash prize of £1,750.

Melody Memories, which operates from Trinity Community Church, received a Community Project Award for its vital work and prize money of £1,750.

The Work Club builds confidence and supports unemployed people within the Exmouth area. This covers every aspect of their job search, including help preparing their CV’s, offering basic computer training for those who need it, as well as advertising local job vacancies.

The project, launched in April 2013, uses church land, local residents’ gardens and other unused spaces provided by Six Counties Housing, around the area to grow organic fruit and vegetables. The produce is then given to people in the local vicinity.

Hope Restored is an inclusive scheme that supports homeless people. The project provides a non-judgemental place where people can get a meal and assistance with getting their lives back on track.

The project draws people from a wide catchment area around Adeyfield Free Church. The families that attend have children with a varied range of disabilities including Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, learning disabilities and those on the Autistic spectrum.