Melksham Family of Churches held its Annual General Meeting on 12th February in the United Church, Melksham.
Reports had been received from Melksham Foodbank, Lifeline, Hope Debt Advice, Bless Melksham Saturday Prayer in the Market Place, Messy Church and Christian Aid, as well as the MFoC Chairman’s annual report, and financial statements for 2017.
The Chairman’s report gave a brief précis of work during 2017. Bless Melksham is the umbrella term, or brand, given to all MFoC’s Christian outreach activity in the area and participation by any Christian church in the area is warmly welcomed. Activities include Messy Church, Holiday Club and Light Party, contribution to the Town Council’s “Tidy Town” initiative through maintenance of the Millennium Mosaic (with help From Trowbridge’s Amber Lodge residents), litter-picking around our churches, looking after a number of flower planters, helping those in crisis through the Foodbank’s Lifeline, issuing Good News newspapers via the Prayer in the Market Place team on Saturday mornings and contributing to the running costs of the Hope Debt Advice service. People from the Christian community also distributed posies of flowers to ladies on the eve of Mothering Sunday, practised with the Bless Melksham Choir and led singing at our joint services as well as entertaining in a number of care homes, hosted pilgrimages by two primary schools to five of our churches, prepared and served meals for the elderly or vulnerable in the community and hosted a Messy Church stand at the Food & River Festival.
Val Huxley, CEO for People Against Poverty was welcomed as guest speaker. People Against Poverty is a locally-based charity whose aim is to release communities from poverty. They work to change lives by meeting basic needs, empowering self-sufficiency and enabling a more sustainable future for families living in poverty around the world. Val showed short films of the work being done and the communities being helped by People Against Poverty. The organisation is working with a number of local schools, educating and organising visits for local schoolchildren who help build shelters, horticulture and farm buildings, whilst learning how poverty and deprivation affects communities worldwide.
People Against Poverty are pleased that businesses are also supporting their work through Business Against Poverty. For the full range of the work that is done by the charity, visit the charity’s websites: www. peopleagainst poverty.com, or alternatively email: info@peopleagainst poverty. com – for businesses: www. businessagainst poverty.com or email: businessagainst poverty@huxleys.net
Sharon Pearce
