We are a church-based, Christian organisation. But right from the outset, we recognised that one church could not alone provide support across our very large rural catchment area (approximately 40 miles from North to South and encompassing over 100 towns and villages). So we set out, very intentionally, to build relationships with as many churches as we could across all Christian denominations.
The logic behind this is two-fold: it enables us to recruit volunteers from a much wider pool of people who are passionate about supporting those experiencing poverty and it ensures, importantly, that our volunteers live in the same or a nearby community to our service users and this makes the relationship-building that is central to our model so much easier and more powerful.
Over the years, we have steadily developed closer working relationships with more and more churches and we always welcome new churches to join our mission (in fact, God’s mission!).
Today, we count the following churches as active partners:
New Life Christian Fellowship, Beccles
https://www.lifechurchbeccles.org/
St Andrews Church, Bredfield
https://stjohnschurch.uk/st-andrews/
Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh
https://www.holytrinityblythburgh.org.uk/
St James Church, Dunwich
https://dunwichpm.onesuffolk.net/church/
Framlingham Community Baptist Church
https://www.framlinghambaptist.co.uk/
Framlingham United Free Church (LEP: Methodist/URC)
St Michael’s Church, Framlingham
https://www.stmichaelsframlingham.org.uk/
St Mary’s Church, Grundisburgh
Leiston Baptist Church
https://www.leistonbaptist.co.uk/
Leiston & Saxmundham United Church (LEP: URC/Methodist)
Our Lady and St Peter’s RC Church, Leiston
http://ourladyandstpeteraldeburgh.com/
SKC Church – CofE Churches in Saxmundham, Kelsale & Carlton
https://www.skc.church/
St Edmund’s Church, Southwold
https://www.stedmundssouthwold.com/
All Saints Church, Wickham Market
https://www.wickhammarketchurch.org/
St John’s Church, Woodbridge
https://stjohnschurch.uk/
St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge
https://www.stmaryswoodbridge.org/
Quay Church, Woodbridge
https://www.thequay.org.uk/
Avenue Evangelical Church, Woodbridge
https://avenueevangelicalchurch.org.uk/
Woodbridge Methodist Church
https://woodbridge.methodistic.org.uk/
If your church would like to join us in partnership then please contact John, our Church Links Coordinator (john.anthony@scpa.uk) or (nic@scpa.uk). We would love to tell you more about what we do and visit or speak at your church.
All our volunteers are members of local churches (not just the ones mentioned above) and we value the time and commitment that they offer. We also engage with Christians as donors, both to our core funds and our emergency Relief Fund, and we are extremely grateful to both our donors and our volunteers.