Grants mean you can take a pew on new chairs in church hall

Grants totalling £2,000 have enabled St Mark in the Cherry Orchard Church to purchase new chairs and dollies to store them on.

The cash was awarded to the church by Mid Counties Co-op, as the church is one of its community partners.

Earlier in the year, in the wake of the uncertainty and concerns relating to the Covid-19 virus and the impact that the restrictions were having on community groups and charities, Mid Counties Co-op invited all of its existing community partners to apply to its Restart Fund, with the aim of providing funding to help maintain the services and facilities they provided.

New church hall chairs had been on the wish list for a long time and St Mark’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) appealed for a grant.

The application cited that the old chairs scratched the hall floor and were uncomfortable, especially for people who attended the free Chat and Cuppa Club, a community group that usually meets in the church hall on the first Tuesday of each month.

In June the PCC learned that St Mark’s had been awarded £1,000 with a further £1,000 granted in September.

The news enabled the PCC to take delivery of 72 new chairs and the three dollies on which to store them at a total cost of £3,500.

Mid Counties Co-op’s community administration manager, Deby Cullum, said there had been “a fantastic response” from its partners, who submitted applications to the fund and were able to utilise the awards given to adapt their services and continue with their work in the community during challenging times.

She explained they were aware that one of the many challenges faced this year was that the ability to fundraise was most likely reduced to zero and where normally as part of its partnership it would have undertaken events to support fundraising, that,  too, had to be put on hold.

Having been advertised on Freecycle, all the old chairs were taken away and are now having extended use elsewhere.

Conservative councillor Steve Mackay has given the PCC £500 from his share of the Worcestershire County Councillors’ Fund.

The fund was created to enable councillors to access money to help local initiatives which play an important role in supporting the wellbeing of their communities, such as the free Chat and Cuppa Club.

The club attracts people from the Bath Road, St Peter’s and Battenhall areas.

While the club usually meets on the first Tuesday of each month, it is currently closed because of the restrictions but intends to meet again at 2pm in the church hall on February 3, 2021.

Anyone will be welcome to drop in to meet friends and or make new ones.