M&S Ashbourne

The Brailsford Benefice, with its five churches spanning Brailsford, Shirley, Osmaston, Yeaveley, and Edlaston, serves a diverse and widespread rural community. "Neighbourly collections" would significantly benefit this benefice and its communities in several ways: Strengthening Community Bonds Across Villages: With five distinct church locations, a "neighbourly collections" initiative would naturally encourage interaction and collaboration between the different villages. This shared purpose—collecting for a common good—would foster a stronger sense of unity and inter-village support, moving beyond just shared Sunday communion to shared practical action. Addressing Diverse Needs: Each of the five communities within the benefice might have slightly different needs or areas where residents could use a helping hand. Neighbourly collections, whether for food banks, school supplies, or even specific local projects, could be tailored to address these varied requirements effectively. This allows the benefice to demonstrate its commitment to tangible community support. Promoting the Church as a Hub for Good: By actively organizing and facilitating these collections, the churches within the Brailsford Benefice would further solidify their role as vital community hubs, not just for spiritual sustenance but also for practical care and social connection. This reinforces our mission to serve "life in all its fullness" for everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs. Building a Spirit of Mutual Support: In rural areas, a strong sense of community and mutual support is often paramount. In essence, "neighbourly collections" would provide a tangible and practical way for the Brailsford Benefice to live out its welcoming and unifying ethos, bringing its diverse communities together in a shared effort to support and uplift one another.

St Oswalds is the historic parish church of Ashbourne in the heart of Derbyshire. As well as offering a spiritual space for tourists and pilgrims, St Oswalds also serves the town and neighbouring villages by: * serving hot meals every week for the elderly and isolated (both 'sit down' meals and take-aways * offering drop-in support groups, such as for carers and for bereaved people * running a weekly parents/carers and children group * supporting particular groups, such as Ukranian visitors and refugees and much more! We also host many local charities, groups and uniformed organisations, and we are always on the look out for people and groups with whom we can partner.

Betel UK is a family of charitable Christian recovery communities who restore homeless and substance-dependent people to productive, independent lifestyles. Our purpose is to rescue those on the slippery slope of homelessness and addiction who want to rebuild their lives but can’t get into overburdened, under-funded rehabs. Betel offers entrance to new residents quickly, often within 24 hours of contacting us. One focus of our mission is to bring abstinence into the mainstream again, to declare and demonstrate that drug-free lifestyles are achievable and sustainable. We believe that people deserve the dignity to live free of life-controlling substances, rather than be led by policy and practice to expect life-long dependencies on prescribed opiates or alcohol. If addiction is a disease, our conviction is that it is an alterable disease of the will, self-induced, no matter how a person’s environment or genetics may predispose them. Hard-working Betel residents grow to understand the importance self-responsibility plays in their own long-term recovery. Our support services are free of charge making us be accessible to everyone regardless of financial means. Most of our funding for daily operations (over 85%) is generated through our charitable businesses and workshops, which train our residents to build employable skills. Betel residents agree to sign off primary benefits (Income support/Job Seekers Allowance) to further encourage their break with dependency in pursuit of building a strong and meaningful work ethic. Residents help to fund their own recovery by being involved in our charitable businesses. This significantly reduces the financial burden on their families and government, while restoring dignity and a sense of purpose. This meaningful work takes many forms, from the introduction to the necessity of daily chores in our residences, to working with our charity businesses. These are Furniture Restoration; House Removals/Clearances/Deliveries; Garden Maintenance and Landscaping; Tree Surgery; Charity Shop Retail Sales. We contract jobs with the local public, the government, businesses, churches and charities as our main means of funding Betel’s charitable activities. Betel is committed to expanding into all major cities in the UK and Ireland as properties/funding become available. We now have the climate in the UK to help provide a real alternative option to reduce crime and improve social cohesion. We're doing this by building relationships within the Criminal Justice Sector and local community organisations. Our men and women are willing to help fund their own recovery to a large degree and be an example to others needing help. Even so, opening new centres and developing new partnerships takes time and support. BETEL GIVES A HOPE TO THE HOPELESS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE - YOUR SUPPORT CAN HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE.