OSBA WINNNER:
Our Manchester Project Officer, Karen Andrew has won an Oustanding Social Behaviour Award! Karen is pictured here with David Gray who won the Peace Activist award for his work in Gorton (and is also the leader of the Faith in Community Allotment in Gorton - a project supported by Faiths4Change!
Since the award on Saturday 13th March, Karen has been interviewd by Manchester Evening News (the awards reached the front page); BBC Radio Manchester's Heather Stott live morning show and a work experience journalist for the next copy of Old Trafford News. I think that adds up to more than 15 minutes of fame!
SQUARE FOOTERS
The Boaz Trust support refugee and asylum seekers in Greater Manchester. Their housing manager, Nigel Biggs, was encouraged to bid for a development fund to roll out a pilot of the Square Footers initiative. The idea is to make a large 4' x 4' square box (made form recycled wood) and mark out each square and plant up a different vegetable or herb in each square box, to feed a family or household of 4 all year round. With the help of a trainer to assemble the planters and plant up the squares we made 5 boxes with refugees in Harpurhey and Nigel was to finish the 6th in Rusholme. They should be able to have a fresh supply of vegetables in the coming months, help them understand the English weather and help to free up their limited financial resources.
OLD TRAFFORD SHARKS
Stainless Steel Fins have been installed at St John's Centre and St John's Church in Old Trafford, this month. Pictured are Centre staff with Emma, the first user, caught on camera at least! ' Cutting the ribbon ' ceremony by Centre Manager Chris Aspinall beside the sign with the quote "Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you need to keep moving" Albert Einstein., the church sign's quote is "Cycle to Church for Body, Soul and Planet", John Hughes.2 great philosophers! The racks were supplied and fitted by Bailey Streetscene of Macclesfield - an excellent service I can confidently recommend.
BRITISH RED CROSS DESTITUTE PROJECT
Growing season has started again, albeit a little late, as Faiths4Change tried hard to recruit some willing volunteers from this project at St Bride's Church in Old Trafford. As the weather has improved, so has the willingness to be outdoors and start work on the veg plot we developed last year with a development fund of just £220.
Last year we had a bumper crop, this year we have started with 4 friends form Africa, who are getting used to English vegetables! So far we have planted beans, calabrese (form of broccolli) and tomatoes. Next week - onions, sweetcorn and chilies!
STEERING GROUP AND NEW TRUSTEES VISIT MANCHESTER
Recently the new Trustees and the existing Steering Group which are running alongside each other for a while, visited Manchester office. After morning business, we looked at the many projects Faiths4Change has done with St John's Centre and Church, where we are based : green group allotment, cycle racks, DIY skills, many, many events and the latest: the photography course and exhibition (featured above).
We then moved on to Gorton to meet up with the effervescent David Gray and his wife, Elaine at the 'Faith in Community' allotment. David showed us all where the funding had been invested and talked of his future plans, then we all got stuck in to help clear waste, cuttings, and do some digging!
