Church tackling food poverty gets £24k grant

Layton Methodist Church says "our small kitchen has been pushed to its limits"

Two churches in Lancashire have received a share of almost £600,000 of funding from the National Churches Trust which aims to save important heritage and keep churches open.

Blackpool's Layton Methodist Church, which is in one of the country's most deprived areas and is trying to address food poverty with its community cafe and foodbank, has been awarded £24,000.

Mark Walmsley, volunteer chairman of Layton Methodist Forward Project, said the grant was "truly transformational" to expand its small kitchen and help even more vulnerable people.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood St Nicholas, a Grade II listed nautical style church once at threat of closure, received £30,000 for essential repairs after being battered by storms.

As well as addressing food poverty and also being a designated warm space, Blackpool Layton Methodist Church hosts and runs bereavement groups, toddler groups, IT and digital skills classes, craft sessions, cookery courses and film nights.

Mr Walmsley said the church's "small kitchen" had been "pushed to its limits" and the grant would allow the church to "do even more to support people in Layton and across Blackpool, a town that is broadly affected by deprivation and hardship".

Layton Methodist Church aims to create a sustainable community cafe model

He added: "This grant brings us closer to our long-term vision: creating a sustainable community cafe model that doesn't just help people cope, it helps lift them out of poverty.

"We're incredibly grateful."

St Nicholas Fleetwood was built in 1962 and its design by architect Laurence King is inspired by the upturned keel of a ship, reflecting Fleetwood's maritime heritage and its dedication to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.

Located near the seafront, the building has been battered by storms and it will use the cash to fix cracks in the building causing significant water damage and putting heritage at risk.

Reverend Carolyn Leitch, vicar of St Nicholas Fleetwood, expressed "heartfelt gratitude" for the grant.

"These last sixty years of coastal weather have taken their toll on the brickwork of the building and urgent repairs are needed to ensure its structural integrity and continued use," she said.

The vicar of St Nicholas Fleetwood says the grant will enable it to carry out essential restoration work and safeguard the church's future

The church is a designated warm space, offering free hot drinks to the community, and hosts community activities during the week, as well as handing out fruit from its garden to locals.

Reverend Leitch said the grant would "protect this important heritage, but it will [also] help to keep the church building open and serving local people"."

Claire Walker, chief executive of the trust, said it was "delighted" to help both churches - to support St Nicholas in carrying out urgent repairs and enable Layton Methodist "to adapt their beautiful building to serve even more vulnerable people".