Representatives from Holy Trinity Church, Blacon, on the outskirts of Chester, travelled to Mercer’s Hall in the City of London on 15 November to receive an Innovative Church Project award, from the Marsh Christian Trust at a ceremony organised by the National Churches Trust.
Holy Trinity Outreach Project was runner up in that category and won a £500. Marsh Christian Trust said: "Your innovative work to provide a safe space for all in the community and to improve people’s wellbeing, particularly socially isolated and vulnerable individuals, are exceptional and have been recognised by the judging panel as outstanding."
Holy Trinity Outreach Project has been running for over 6 years now and provides a community café, art and craft classes, knit and natter group, cooking course, a gardening club, a parent and toddler lunch and club.
Holy Trinity, is the Anglican parish church for the large post-war estate of Blacon, Chester. In 2013, they began running a community outreach project, to increase engagement between the church and the wider community.
In 2018, alterations were made to the church to enable the project to run more smoothly, as well as making the church more accessible. There is now an area in the church dedicated to providing refreshments, whether after services on a Sunday or on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday when the Outreach Project is happening.
The Revd Tina Upton, Vicar at Holy Trinity, says: "The café is like the hub around which other activities for the community happen. It is called the Meeting Place café, because this is somewhere for people to meet with God as well as with others, and it certainly engenders a great sense of community. The Outreach Project provides the opportunity for socially isolated people to come and make friends – currently about 200 people come along to the different activities during the week."
Mrs Daphne Peers , Kathie, and Sue from Holy Trinity.