Community Project

Christ Church Community Project

Christ Church Community Project is a registered charity established by Christ Church in May 2003 with the following aim:

To address some of the social concerns in our community

To open the church building up during the week to be used for community based activities to benefit the people of Matchborough

Undertake a needs analysis of the people of Matchborough and to establish projects that would help to address or alleviate issues that were identified

We developed activities in the following areas:

• To support families
• To prevent isolation in older people
• To work with young people in the area of local democracy
• To improve communication in the community

The Painting Group

The Painting Group members are a class that initially came on a Painting for Beginners 'taught' class in 2007. Once this class finished they decided to continue as a self-supporting group with a few additions. The group now display their work in local exhibitions

Providing Services for Older People in the Community

The work with older people continues to be a major part of our involvement in the community. Over the years the numbers in our lunch club have increased so we often cater for 40 people

Our club offers a meeting on Thursdays each week offering either an activity session with a hot lunch or a traditional lunch club, ensuring there is something for everyone. A monthly day trip out to a place of interest, including lunch, for £10 is also offered. Special events organised by the Matchborough Youth Forum as part of their inter-generational project take place occasionally

From our research we know that 70% of our members live on their own and a large percentage have suffered isolation in recent times. Many have made new friends and consider the club to be a safe space where they feel valued

Supporting the Family

We continue to work with Redditch YMCA to run Kinder Gym which offers gross motor skill opportunities for 2-5 year olds. Parents pay a small fee and their children have access to some excellent play equipment. They are supported and cared for by their parents and staff from the YMCA. This has been a popular event on Wednesday mornings

The Care for the Family parenting class is run and 10 participants attended the last course, from a first time mum to a grandmother caring for her grandchildren. The course covered the key issues in family life looking at:

• Communicating effectively
• Unconditional love
• Becoming a good listener
• Setting appropriate boundaries
• Choosing your battles
• Managing teenage years
• Rewards and sanctions

This is an area of our work where we link closely with Noah's Ark Nursery, with many participants being nursery parents.

Matchborough Voice

The Community newsletter is produced by the Project and publicises its work, including stories of local interest in the community. The newsletter is produced twice a year and our aim is to deliver to every home in Matchborough by church members

A Data Privacy Notice is available for the activities of the Community Project, or available to download (pdf format).

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