At the end of 2021 we made a funding contribution to The Churn Project. They are a charity
supporting vulnerable and marginalised people across Cirencester and surrounding villages. They aim to reduce isolation and improve wellbeing for those who are lonely, at a point of transition or crisis in their lives or experiencing mental health issues.
Three Tuesdays each month they offer the Friendship café for older people at Ashcroft church. Most weeks it is tea and cake, with lots of staff and volunteers present to ensure everyone has a good experience and someone to talk to. Often they run arts/crafts activities, such as ceramics, card making and creating a tea-towel for the Jubilee weekend. The café has a weekly attendance of around 40 people and over 100 on the register.
One Tuesday per month they organise an outing to somewhere local. This adds variety and gives people a different experience. They have experienced outings to Quenington sculpture park and to the local church and museum in Cirencester. At Christmas they put on a carol concert in the beautiful parish church.
The funding we awarded was put towards the costs of these activities: the cakes and refreshments, as well as the additional costs incurred when running a trip (entry tickets and coach hire).
We are so pleased that our funding has been put to such great use and has helped to make a difference.