Skip to main content

Northcliffe Links the Community

Image
By

At the recent Open House and Community Fair held at Northcliffe LEP, community groups from across Shipley came together in the chapel to meet, network and showcase their work to the public. The groups included the Heaton Woods Trust, Friends of Northcliffe (local park & woodland); a neighbourhood residents group and representation from Bradford Council. The Cellar Trust (a local mental health charity) sold items made in its woodwork shop, as well as excellent cakes. The Saltaire Canteen, that works in the area of food waste and food poverty, came along and made plenty of useful contacts, including the Prince’s Trust who work with young people developing employment skills and who are based at Northcliffe Church. We also had representatives from the Community Policing Team and the Bradford Court Chaplaincy Service and we ran a book stall, on behalf of Cornerstone Bookstore. 
                     
Groups who meet at Northcliffe were able to publicise their activities including “Fiddle and Feet”, an Appalachian dance group, The Talking Telegraph, Guide Dogs Puppy Walkers and The Bradford Chorale. While people browsed the stalls, which included our Guide and Ranger groups, Pizza Church and preschool children’s groups, we were serenaded on the grand piano by Ashley France. 

It was a good test of the new upstairs kitchen, where great teamwork ensured a steady flow of tea and cake. There was a busy and convivial atmosphere throughout and new and useful relationships were formed between the various organisations. Funds were raised for both Northcliffe and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  Feedback from the groups has been overwhelmingly positive. We wanted to use our spaces to bring the community together in one space at the same time and, by God’s Grace, were blessed by a great outcome. 

Tim B, Northcliffe Church  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crag Road Church Drop In

By
On a Friday afternoon, Crag Road run a drop-in centre for local people in the Windhill area, who are struggling with life problems, such as Alcohol or Drug addiction. This has been running for 14 years and provides a valuable service to the community.

Recently numbers have dropped and we have changed the format to providing soup and a roll, along with hot drinks and biscuits. We brought the time on a Friday afternoon forward, from 2pm until 4pm to 1pm until 3pm.

The change has proved successful. However, due to illness, we really could use a couple of male helpers to work alongside our other helpers.

If you think that this could be your Cup of Tea (excuse the pun), then please contact John northvisiting@bradfordnorth.org.uk

John W, Circuit Pastoral Co-ordinator
Post a Comment
Read more

Church Building at Thackley!

By
How would a gingerbread church with icing doors and chocolate finger organ pipes appeal? Junior Church at Thackley had been busy building such an edifice for a couple of weeks, before the part-completed church was creatively used as the basis of an inspired service, put together by worship leader, Gill Dobson.

Using the Lectionary readings and carefully chosen hymns, poems and prayers, Gill gave us a timely reminder that our churches are the people, not the building, and that we are all part of God’s Church – all our churches belong to Him – not us!

We considered how the children were building their gingerbread church on the groundwork of the Junior Church leaders and how in a similar way we were building Thackley Church, in the sense that the church is who we are and what we do. We were asked to think how we might describe Thackley - a busy church? A traditional church? An ageing church? A lively church? A tired church? A caring church?

Post a Comment
Read more

Allerton Friday Fellowship

By
In March last year, we started a conversation with the young people at Allerton about whether they wanted a chance to meet up together during the week, and what sort of group they might like.
They had a think and came up with some suggestions, and so in June we launched the ‘First Friday Fellowship’, a group which meets monthly on the first Friday evening of the month. We had a month off in August, but otherwise have met every month since.

The young people come together for a mixture of food, fellowship, fun and games and faith conversations. The young people involved are regular attenders and there is a good atmosphere amongst the group. As we go into the new year, we are looking at different activities to get involved with, including encouraging links with other groups in the local area and across the circuit.

If you have any young people in your churches, who might like to get involved, in either this group or the Thursday evening group at St Andrew’s, please get in touch.

Laura T, …
Post a Comment
Read more