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Charity Rewarded for Being Welcoming! |
The Welcome, Knutsford, was one of a small number of groups from around the country who were invited to No 10 Downing Street on Monday 5th December 2011 to meet the Prime Minister and receive their ‘Big Society Award’. The Welcome, Knutsford is a safe, independent hub at the heart of the community serving all ages and backgrounds, providing services for the whole of the person - body, mind and spirit.
Formed by the Alderley Edge and Knutsford Methodist Circuit in 2010, The Welcome (Knutsford) Ltd (The Charity) and The Welcome Methodist Church (one of the newest churches in British Methodism) work closely together to support the needs of people living on an estate with many challenging needs on the edge of Knutsford. The current work builds on 15 years of work by the circuit. At the heart of The Welcome is a café and community space, providing JobClubs, a Credit Union, Homework Support Clubs, Breakfast Clubs, Youth Cafés, Adult Education and support for those with mental health issues. The church provides a counselling service, bible study and discipleship groups alongside a midweek group for children and a regular Sunday worship.
The Welcome was nominated for the award by one of the regulars in the café and at the church and won the award in September. On Monday 5th December, Mr Mark Green (Chairman of Trustees), Ms Marie Fox (Operations Manager) and Rev Ben Clowes (Minister of The Welcome Methodist Church) were invited to an afternoon of workshops at HM Treasury followed by a formal reception at No 10 Downing Street hosted by the Prime Minister where they had the opportunity to share some of the vision for the work with him.
Rev Ben Clowes said ‘It is a wonderful recognition of the many hours of hard work put in by the local churches and many volunteers over the last 16 years’. Mark Green added ‘The Welcome has had a wonderful history serving our community in such a variety of ways. Our driving motivation is understanding and meeting the needs of neighbours by practically showing God’s love. This award is a great recognition of what we have achieved, and a huge encouragement to carry on, keep evolving and growing what we do. There are hundreds of people who can be proud of their contribution to the success of The Welcome, and this award is for each and every one of them.’
On giving the award, the Prime Minister said ‘The Welcome started with the simple ambition of creating a centre for the community offering good value meals in a safe place. By listening to the needs of the people who use the centre and constantly adding the services and support they asked for it has truly become the heart of that community. This is a fantastic example of the Big Society - local volunteers delivering services local people need on their doorstep. Everyone at The Welcome should be proud of the achievement this award recognises and I hope they continue to provide a valuable service for the whole community.’1
1 Quoted from No 10 website - http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/the-welcome-in-knutsford-is-the-latest-big-society-award-winner/