Autumn Newsletter25

AUTUMN/WINTER 2025 NEWSLETTER

We’re excited to bring you the latest updates from CCA. This newsletter is designed to keep you informed about everything happening within our community — from what we’ve been involved in recently, to upcoming events, opportunities, and important news. It’s our way of keeping you connected and making sure you don’t miss a thing.

Stay tuned as we share highlights of our work, celebrate achievements, and give you a look ahead at what’s coming next.

My Friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What is there in your saying to them “God bless you! Keep warn and eat well!” – If you don’t give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: If it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead

James Chapter 2 vs 14-26

CCA Supporters event Saturday 11th October at 5:00pm – 6:30pm Join us as we come together to celebrate and thank those who have supported our mission over the years. This special event is an opportunity to welcome our community – friends, partners, and supporters – and to share the heart of what we do.

Our Mission is to provide practical support to individuals and families in need by supplying essential furniture and white goods.

But its about more than just furniture – it’s about helping people rebuild their lives after disruption, hardship, or crisis.

Through stories, reflections, and real-life impact, you’ll see how your support has helped transform empty houses into homes, and uncertainty into hope.

This is more than an event – it’s a chance to reflect, and be part of a mission that truly makes a difference in our community.

The Mayor of Reading will be in attendance and we have also invited special speakers to talk about our journey with them. Refreshments are included. If you wish to attend, please contact mail@ccam.org.uk.

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CCA got involved in Reuse Networks Big Green week.

This is what they wrote about the event ...

No one should be without a bed to sleep on, a cooker to cook on or a sofa to sit on.

We are working across sectors to make this vision a reality, giving our member charities the support they need to reach vulnerable people in need.

We even featured in their newsletter!

Whats happening in CCA ...

Look out for our Van with our new signage...

Did you know?

With the help of successful funding applications, we have finally managed to update our van. Thank you to those who donated and helped us in our journey.

If you’re a UK taxpayer, you can make your donation go 25% further with Gift Aid – at no extra cost to you!

Just tick the Gift Aid box when donating.

Every £1 you give = £1.25 for our charity Thank you for helping us make an even bigger difference!

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Our Volunteers Why Volunteer with CCA?...

Volunteering isn’t just about giving your time — it’s about making a difference and being part of something bigger. When you volunteer with CCA, you’re helping strengthen our community, support meaningful projects, and create lasting connections with others.

But the benefits don’t stop there: Make an Impact – Your efforts directly contribute to positive change.

Learn & Grow – Gain new skills, experiences, and confidence.

Build Connections – Meet like-minded people, make friends, and expand your network.

Feel Good – Helping others has a way of lifting your own spirits, too!

Be Part of the Story – You’ll play a key role in shaping what CCA is doing now and in the future.

Whether you can give a little time or a lot, every contribution counts — and together, we can do so much more.

My name is Chris Ambrose, and I want to share a little about my journey with CCA. Back in 2011, I was at a difficult point in my life. I was attending a specialist organisation that helped people with learning difficulties and disabilities to build confidence for work. My mum, always looking out for me, spoke to someone there about my struggles.

After doing some research, she found CCA. So, I went to the Silver Street shop and asked if I could volunteer. They didn’t hesitate — they gave me the chance.

They offered me a taster session, just to see how I liked it.

Well… I never looked back.

From that day on, my life started to change. My confidence grew. I began meeting people, making connections, and getting out into the world. I can honestly say I am not the same person I was 14 years ago. Back then, I was lazy, unhealthy, out of shape, and drifting with no direction. I had even lost my faith in God when my grandad passed away.

But through CCA, I found purpose. I started looking after myself better, eating healthier, believing in myself, and reconnecting with God in my own way. Most importantly, I no longer felt like the odd one out. At CCA, I am respected. I am valued. And I am loved.

To me, CCA isn’t just a charity or a workplace. It’s my second family. If I were to win the lottery tomorrow, I could give millions to CCA — and it still wouldn’t feel like enough. Because what they have given me can’t be measured in money.

The truth is simple: CCA saved my life.

Thank you.

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Store Manager - CCA Home, Cardiff Road, RG1 8ED 4 days p/w - £13.83 p/h CCA Home serves the local community with great quality pre-loved furniture and white goods items at really good prices.

Would you like to be part of the team?

Love giving furniture a second life?

We’re looking for a creative, hands-on Store Manager to lead our friendly team 4 days a week.

What you’ll do: – Lead and motivate a small team – Create eye-catching displays – Organise collections & deliveries – Deliver great customer service Why join us? Be part of a supportive, missiondriven charity, promote sustainability, and make second-hand shopping inspiring!

Apply now; email hr@ccam.org.uk or visit www.ccam.org.uk for an application pack.

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Our Online Furniture & Whitegoods Shop!

We’re excited to announce the launch of our brand-new online shop! Soon, you’ll be able to browse our full range of quality furniture and whitegoods – the same great stock you’ll find in our stores – all from the comfort of your own home.

Choose the option that works best for you: Home delivery straight to your door (Greater Reading area only) Click & Collect from our site at your convenience

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We’re delighted to bring you this new, practical way to shop and can’t wait to meet your needs with even greater ease.

Stay tuned – your perfect piece of furniture is only a click away!

Closing date: 30th September 2025 It is essential to be fully supportive of our Christian ethos.

Demonstrating God’s love by meeting people practical needs and restoring self-worth.

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A Fond Farewell to Caversham Drop-In Last month, we said a heartfelt goodbye to Caversham Drop-In, a ministry that has been close to our hearts for many, many years.

For so long, Caversham Baptist Church has faithfully opened its doors every Wednesday lunchtime, welcoming the homeless, the lonely, and those in need, offering not just a delicious cooked meal with dessert, but also warmth, dignity, and community.

It has been our privilege to partner with this wonderful outreach and to see lives touched through simple acts of kindness.

After much prayer and reflection, we made the difficult decision to entrust the future of Caversham Drop-In to FAITH, an incredible charity that tirelessly serves our town and is known for feeding Reading in such powerful ways.

We believe wholeheartedly that the Drop-In will flourish under their care and that this change will bless even more people in the days ahead.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to Myra and her dedicated team. Your years of service, loyalty, love, and unwavering support have been nothing short of inspirational. You have sown seeds of compassion that will continue to bear fruit long into the future.

Though this chapter closes for us, we look forward with great hope. May the Drop-In continue to be a place of welcome, restoration, and love.

We pray every blessing upon FAITH, upon Myra and her team, and upon every guest who walks through those doors.

With love, gratitude, and best wishes for the journey ahead.

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At CCA Home, we believe every house deserves to feel like a home.

Our fabulous furniture shop is filled with preloved treasures – quality pieces that not only bring warmth and character into living spaces, but also carry a story of sustainability, care, and community.

As proud members of the Reuse Network, we stand firmly in our commitment to protecting the environment by reducing waste, rehoming furniture, and giving items a second life. But our mission goes far beyond sustainability.

Every day, we meet people who have endured enormous challenges – families and individuals who, after facing heartbreaking upheavals, find themselves in unfurnished accommodation. No carpets. No sofas. No beds. No white goods. Just empty rooms. Empty walls. Empty spaces.

This is where we step in. With grace, dignity, and love, we provide essential furniture to those in crisis, helping them rebuild their homes – and with it, their sense of stability, hope, and belonging. We don’t just deliver a table or a chair. We deliver comfort, safety, and the reassurance that no one has to face furniture poverty alone.

Our work doesn’t stop there.

CCA Home also offers volunteering opportunities that empower people to grow in confidence, gain valuable skills, and take steps towards returning to work. Every item donated, every purchase made, and every hour volunteered helps us continue this vital mission of rebuilding lives through home and heart.

Because at CCA Home, it’s not just furniture. It’s new beginnings, second chances, and stronger communities.

Read more ---->

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In 2024, thanks to the generosity of our community and the hard work of our team, CCA Home made a real difference in people’s lives and for our planet: 253 Referrals – from trusted organisations and agencies, ensuring the most vulnerable received vital support.

659 Self-referrals – families and individuals on benefits or low income who found hope, dignity, and a helping hand through us.

3,200 Essential Items Delivered & Sold – from beds to cookers, tables to wardrobes, turning empty spaces into welcoming homes.

64 Tons of Furniture Saved from Landfill – protecting our environment and proving that sustainability and compassion go hand-in-hand.

Every number tells a story of resilience, sustainability, and second chances. Together, we’re not just furnishing homes – we’re rebuilding lives and protecting our planet.

Can you imagine how many more families we’ve supported this year—while the cost of living keeps climbing? Every day, more people turn to us for help.

But the truth is, we cannot continue this vital work without you.

Over the past few months, our newsletter has shown you the difference your support makes. But imagine, just for a moment, what it would mean if our charity could no longer be there for those who need us most.

The safety net so many rely on would vanish.

Now, we too are in urgent need.

And this is where you can make a life-changing difference.

Here’s how you can help us today: To support us financially, you can donate online via localgiving, or directly to CCA via BACS (bank transfer).‌ ‌ can the QR code to go‌ S ‌to the localgiving website.‌ If you prefer to donate by bank transfer, you can use these details to donate to CCA:‌ Account name: Christian Community Action Ministries‌ Sort Code: 09 02 22‌ Account number: 10871489‌

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