“When people are drowning in the river it is important that we rescue them – but it is equally important that we go upriver to see who is pushing them into the river in the first place.”
Following a feature on BBC North West, Rev. Adrian Burdon tells us about Oldham Methodist Circuit’s response to the cost-of-living crisis. Read on to discover how you can both protest and deliver, in your local context.
“Many churches around the district are responding to the current cost-of-living crisis by opening their buildings as warm spaces for their community. The majority of these projects are the initiative of the local congregations seeking to offer help to their neighbours. The warm space which has been set up in Trinity Methodist Church, Royton, in the Oldham Circuit has an additional dynamic. In Oldham, the church is standing side-by-side with the Oldham Council to deliver a joint response to the crisis. The warm space operates on a full-time basis alongside the local library which is already operating from the church. The warm space is staffed jointly by Oldham Council staff and volunteers from across the Oldham Circuit. It operates as a community hub in the centre of Royton and represents a significant opportunity for the church to engage with the community. Various voluntary and statutory agencies are joining in the work by setting up help desks in the church to coincide with the opening hours of the library and warm space. Council advice and support agencies, benefits and pensions help, Age UK and CAB representatives can all be found within the space.
What the government has done so far in responding to the cost-of-living crisis is simply not enough to enable everyone to live. To say that people find themselves choosing to eat or heat makes a great soundbite – but the reality for some people is that they cannot afford to do either.
When people are drowning in the river it is important that we rescue them – but it is equally important that we go upriver to see who is pushing them into the river in the first place. Churches and other faith groups are in the exceptional position of being able to do that:
We can both protest and deliver.
We can be the voice of protest to the people in power and we can deliver care and assistance to the people in need.
The church has opened the door, we stand alongside our partners, and together we have made this a community space in which everyone can find a place to be warm, safe and welcome.”
Rev. Adrian Burdon
Superintendent of the Oldham Circuit
You can watch the cost-of-living feature on BBC North West here, which aired on Wednesday 26th October 2022.