For 26 years, the United Reformed Church’s (URC) Community Project Awards have recognised outstanding community projects in United Reformed Churches and its churches in ecumenical partnerships, that demonstrate the love of God and the mission of the Church by reaching out in many different ways to help the local communities in which our churches serve.
At the URC General Assembly meeting at The Hayes, Swanwick, from 12-15 July, six church community projects received awards of £2,000 and £1,000 towards its work. After today’s awards, 75 churches will have received a total of £140,000.
The partner of the awards for the past 15 years has been Congregational. Three winners’ awards of £2,000 and three Highly Commended awards of £1,000 were given.
The Barn Hospitality Project, Livingston United Parsh Church
The first winner of a 2024 Community Project Award is The Barn Hospitality Project at Livingston United Parish Church.
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.
Watch a video about The Barn project.
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Community Food Hub, Dursley Tabernacle URC
The second winner of a 2024 Community Project Award is the Community Food Hub at Dursley Tabernacle URC.
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.
Watch a video about Dursley Tabernacle URC.
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Lancaster Road URC Community Food Hub, Enfield
The third winner was the Lancaster Road URC in Enfield, which 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.
Watch a video the work of Lancaster Road URC Community Food Hub.
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The Pod Church and Community Together, Sherborne, Dorset
The first Highly Commended winner is The Pod Church and Community Together, from Cheap Street Church in Sherborne, Dorset.
The church owns the shop premises where the community project in the town centre is based. Since April 2021, it has been visited thousands of times. It is ecumenically-minded and has a great range of Christian Books, all donated, free Bibles.
Some visitors request a food bank referral or use the food shelf when they are short of food that day. It has promoted events and fundraising through display in windows. It has also promoted ways of volunteering in the town. There is a community fridge, and there are dozens of other ways that the shop helps visitors and signposts them to agencies and other means of help and support.
Watch a video about the Pod Church and Community Together.
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Open Church, Heaton Moor United Church, Stockport
The next Highly Commended winner is the Open Church project at Heaton Moor United Church in Stockport.
Open Church is simply when the project opens the church up for all members of the community. It is held during school holidays – usually Monday to Thursday from 10am until 2pm each day. Activities take place throughout the building and there are activities to suit all ages.
Open Church is a way to show who the church is – that it is more than just a Sunday morning worshipping community. It also showcases other members of the community who uses the building or who its works with in partnership.
Watch a video about Open Church.
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Open Doors TAG Café, Dorking URC
The third Highly Commended award was the Open Doors TAG Café at Dorking United Reformed Church.
The Open Doors TAG Café and TAG aim to include, empower and support adults with learning disabilities by providing them with somewhere to belong, and enabling them to help facilitate it for the benefit of the wider community as a place all can be part of, and through which Dorking URC can work towards its stated mission of trying to ‘Live Jesus’ Love’.
In February 2023, the church set up TAG (Thursday Activity Group) to provide activities beyond the 1.00 closing time of the café. TAG is open to all but tailored to be inclusive of those with additional needs. It offers crafts, games, activities, and projects like joining in church themes and helping in the church garden. Some attendees are present from the café opening at 9.30 to 4.00 when TAG finishes. TAG is overseen by a paid session worker with a team of volunteers.
Watch a video about Open Doors Tag Café.
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Learn more about the awards at urc.org.uk/awards.