Christians
Against Poverty (CAP) Debt Counselling Centre Sally Bartram reports on progress
towards the opening of the new Debt Counselling Centre
“Stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31: 8-9)
The official opening of the new Debt Counselling Centre is imminent! I am thrilled to have been appointed as the Centre Manager and am hugely excited by the opportunity this venture gives Christ Church Downend to actively demonstrate God’s love to those struggling with debt and poverty in our community. Since I decided that I would like to apply for the job of Centre Manager it has been very clear that God has His hand on this work and I would like to share with you the progress that has been made towards the opening of the centre. My official training for the Centre Manager role took place over two weeks in the middle of April followed by a day working with the Manager of the CAP Centre in Bath. Hopefully I am now ready to start working with clients.
The CAP Centre will be based at Haven House, 133 High Street, Staple Hill and will initially be open on Mondays and Fridays. The Centre doesn’t need much room – just a desk, computer, phone line and a filing cabinet! As well as myself there will hopefully be a volunteer worker on the days the centre is open which will mean that if the phone rings, there will always be someone available to offer help. As well as volunteers to work in the CAP office, we will also need volunteers to accompany me on client visits, be part of a prayer team, assist with fund raising and CAP client social events, help clients with practical needs (DIY etc.) so anyone keen to be involved in this way, please let me know. The offers of help I have already received have been fantastic and it is so clear that the CAP Centre is going to be supported by a great team from Christ Church.
With regards to the financial situation, I am sure you are all aware that Christ Church has agreed to commit £1500 per month. It now looks likely that we will receive up to 80% of this amount for a period of three years through a grant from the Diocese of Bristol. We have yet to receive official confirmation that our application has been successful but are hopeful that this will be forthcoming in the near future. The support of the wider church is hugely encouraging as it gives us the opportunity to work closely with other churches in our area and for them to refer potential clients to us. I look forward to sharing with you more news regarding the CAP Centre over the coming months and hope that we will soon be seeing new faces at Christ Church as CAP clients come to know the love of God through this work.
See more of CAP’s work at www.capuk.org
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