Out-of-Hours Emergency Food Service
During the past year, we have been providing Emergency Food Parcels to families and individuals in need. These are a mix of collections and deliveries. We were able to secure a Grant from Telford and Wrekin Council to continue our ‘Out of Hours’ service, including the purchasing of a Van, which has been used for delivering emergency food parcels, as well as taking vulnerable residents to doctors’ appointments, prescription collections, etc. The grants also enabled us to purchase racking for our food bank storage, as well as new shutters at the rear of the building for easier access for deliveries as well as for additional security. We have also received donations of food and goods from multiple donors which have assisted over 10,000 residents within the Telford and Wrekin Borough.
During this period we delivered the following:
- 11,232 Emergency Food Parcels distributed throughout the Telford and Wrekin Borough
- 134,784 meals provided (we provide between 4-7 days’ worth of food per person)
Afghanistan Refugee Support
The UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022.
The scheme prioritised
- those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law
- vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+)
The Telford and Wrekin Interfaith Council were asked to assist the local council with the delicate project of assisting Afghanistan Refugees who had been temporarily housed in accommodation with the borough. Most of the refugees came to the UK with nothing except the clothes on their backs. We led a campaign to collect donations of clothes, shoes, and children’s toys, to assist in welcoming them into the UK. We also engaged with language interpretation, religious worship (including a donation of prayer mats), and tension facilitation. We were also engaged with ensuring families were able to get to GP and dental appointments, as well as a trip out of the borough.
Ukraine Support Relief
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. The conflict forced more than 14 million people to leave their homes – that’s more than a quarter of Ukraine’s entire population.
More than 6 million people remain displaced within Ukraine and an estimated 7.7 million are now living as refugees across Europe. Older people, people with disabilities and people with a lack of economic resources are the most affected. It was determined very quickly that this conflict was going to cause a huge humanitarian crisis for the people of Ukraine. Our Polish members of the Interfaith Council approached us for assistance as they wanted to collect donations and send them across to Poland so that they could help the refugees fleeing the conflict.
As an interfaith council, we were able to offer our storage facilities for free to allow as a drop-off and sorting location for the Ukrainian relief project in Telford, as well as bringing together all the communities of the Interfaith Council to make donations. We were also able to promote through all our social media outlets.
In total 12 articulated lorries full of food, clothes, toys, toiletries, and other essential items we delivered through this local campaign and the contributions have helped 1,000s of refugees who fled to Poland.
The Interfaith Council has also supported the local Borough Council with painting, decorating, and small repairs to properties to allow refugees to settle into accommodation quickly within the Telford and Wrekin Borough.
Community Hub Opening
In June 2021 we received a grant to assist us in upgrading the building that we started renting to enable it to be used by the community. This included redesigning the downstairs of the building to add additional meeting and community rooms, as well as a downstairs toilet. To upgrade the electrics downstairs to encompass the internal changes. The Telford and Wrekin Interfaith Community Hub was officially opened in Oct 2021 with dignitaries and guests from all over the county in attendance.
In May 2022 we received further funding to make changes to the upstairs of the building for additional community use. Watch this space…
Mobile Santa Grotto
With the support of the Telford and Wrekin Council, Balfour Beatty, and many volunteers we were able to run a Mobile Santa Grotto around the streets of Telford and Wrekin for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. We wanted to continue the success of the previous year and bring our Interfaith Father Christmas to the children of the Borough. Overall, it is estimated that 5,000+ children experienced the Mobile Grotto. We also delivered over 1,000 Selection Boxes to vulnerable children during that time. We also gave over 500 children’s Christmas Presents out to the most vulnerable families who required food parcels over the Christmas Period
Christmas Day Meals for the Homeless
On Christmas Day 2021 we teamed up with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and KIP@Manninplace for the second year running to help deliver hot Christmas meals to over 150 vulnerable adults, many of whom were placed in homeless shelters around the Telford and Wrekin Borough. We provided drinks, selection boxes, and sweets to help cheer up those in need. We also worked with our many members from different faiths to be able to cover the deliveries of Christmas meals around the borough.
It was a truly ‘Interfaith Christmas’, where all came together to serve those in the greatest need.
Easter Egg Project
During Easter 2022 the Board of Trustees wanted to do something extra for the local community, including vulnerable families and individuals, as well as showing support to our Emergency Services who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of public support and donations, we were able to deliver over 1,800 Easter Eggs to vulnerable individuals and families across the borough as well as to Children of Emergency Services Personnel. Our Easter Smile campaign was a great success for the second year running and is something we are planning to continue in the future.
Equality and Diversity
As part of our mission to bring unity into the community and promote inclusion for all, we have been involved in several projects during the past 12 months. These have included running workshops during South Asian Heritage Month, which included a drawing competition with help from local school children. We also worked with multiple organisations during Black History Month, as well as holding Faith and Cultural events at the Interfaith Community Hub, engaging with local schools and community groups, sharing cultural festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Holocaust Memorial Day, to name a few.
We are looking forward to working closer with the local primary and secondary schools around the borough to support them in their efforts on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion with youth of the borough (the leaders of tomorrow).
Interfaith Youth Forum
In late spring of 2021, the Interfaith Youth Forum was set up with 6 founding members, all under 18. This Youth forum aims to bring Youth together from all walks of life, to provide a safe inclusive place within the community where they can enjoy building lasting friendships and learn from (respect and embrace) all the faiths and cultures that make up the Borough of Telford and Wrekin.
In May 2022 this group (plus additional youth) were able to attend a wonderful couple of days up in the Liverpool area, where they received leadership training on how to run an inclusive organisation as well as a visit (as VIP guests) to Tranmere Rovers F.C., where they were invited onto the pitch for a half-time photo in front of the home fans.
This left lasting memories for the youth that attended, and Tranmere Rovers received some additional new fans on the day. The youth forum has also come together with AFC Telford and was able to utilise their outdoor 5-a-side all-weather pitches an evening a week to come and have fun and get exercise.