OPENHOPE
PROMOTING THE POSITIVE, PRESENTING THE POSSIBLE
G D I E R S B ” “ FOR YOUR SINGING
S U P PE R
ROCHDALE’S FOODBANK THRIVES DESPITE FLOOD CHURCHES CELEBRATE EASTER WITH UNITY ORIGINAL POETRY FROM MATTHEW JOSEPH BURT OPENHOPE - A
MIXING BUSINESS & PLEASURE
HOWARD WILKINSON
WITH
MAGAZINE FOR THE BOROUGH OF ROCHDALE
ISSUE 2
The Father has sent his Son to be the
Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that
Jesus
Son of God, is the
God lives in him, and he lives in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. From The Bible: 1 John 4:16
Contents 04 EDITOR’S LETTER
14 COVER STORY
FEATURES 06 FOODBANK THRIVES DESPITE FLOOD
We revisit Rochdale’s foodbank following the Boxing Day floods
14 ‘BRIDGES’ - SINGING FOR YOUR SUPPER Becky White explores a drop-in for Rochdale’s homeless
22 A UNITED WITNESS
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Rochdale’s Whit Walks - a chance for the church to stand in unity
24 RE-BORN THIS WAY
Poetry from Matthew Joseph Burt What does life look like for a professional photography who is a Christian Director David Bargh Managing Editor Gareth Crossley - 07843 565 155 Copy Editor Rebecca White
“
me to , d e s as caugenerosity h n a i Christ work with as integral a g n i Be ch my ompassion siness. a o r p ap and c s of my bu y t i r a nt ch eleme
“
30 HOWARD WILKINSON
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Distribution Coordinator Paul Gerrard Editorial Office OPENHOPE, THE ART BANK, Studio 7 Champness Hall, Drake St, Rochdale OL16 1PB 07843 565 155
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22 OPENHOPE Magazine
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WELCOME TO
OPENHOPE The first issue of OPENHOPE was so well received, resulting in countless compliments for the team and questions about future issues. So here is issue two.
volunteer and those who benefit from its provision, Becky paints a sobering picture of the often desperate needs of hundreds within our own communities.
Having featured the work of Rochdale’s foodbank in issue one, we didn’t expect to revisit them for some time. Then came the Boxing Day floods. The eyes of the country faced north, with one dingy-toting Rochdalean in a car park receiving global attention! The severity of the floods caused us to again visit the foodbank you can read how they thrived despite the devastation in this issue.
In addition to all of this we have poetry from Matthew Joseph Burt, perspectives on living generously with local photographer Howard Wilkinson and much more!
Another highlight this issue is Becky White’s eye-opening exploration of ‘Bridges’, just one of the initiatives making provision for the staggering number of homeless and ‘hidden’ homeless within our town. Drawing on personal stories from those who
As always if you are affected by any of the issues that we’ve covered in OPENHOPE or you’d like to let us get in touch, we would love to hear from you!
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As with our first issue all of our features seek to marry the experiences of regular members of our community with the faith that so many within our town hold as foundational to who they are.
Gareth Crossley Managing Editor
For since the creation of the world
God’s invisibleBONUS
QUALITIES,
his eternal power and
divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that people are
WITHOUT EXCUSE. Romans 1:20
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FOODBANK THRIVE
T
he floods couldn’t have happened on a worse day. Boxing Day ― families celebrating Christmas; public services all closed for a week; businesses of all sorts closed too. So getting a phone call at 11 o’clock from our landlord to say that the foodbank was under 3 feet of water was a real shock and caused us to ask ‘what happens now?’ We arrived to find our cellar and basement area completely destroyed and much of our stockpiles of food ruined by the dirty floodwater.
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But God is good. A few of our volunteers were either in the town centre as it was happening or came down to see what they could do. With the help of social media and the council, by mid afternoon a gang of about 20 men, mostly from the local Asian community, moved over 300 boxes of food upstairs where it would remain safe and dry. Sadly another 300 boxes were contaminated by the flood water. The floor in one of our premises was buckled and we knew this could take weeks to restore. By God’s grace, a team of professional cleaners from Ashton,
ES DESPITE FLOOD
Rochdale’s excellent foodbank was hit hard in the devastation caused by Town centre flooding on Boxing Day 2015 OPENHOPE Magazine
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Although the flood lasted only a few hours, the damage to local business, charities and homes was devastating.
who we had used last year, happened to be in between jobs and were happy to come down on the Sunday to begin the clean up. This meant throwing out everything that was contaminated or destroyed and drying out and sanitising both of our two premises. Our team of volunteers then worked with the council and the Town Hall restaurant (using their van) to ship boxes of food and other items to the Town Hall so we could operate the Foodbank from the Town Hall. The Town Hall staff and Council were just incredible. They even moved their Christmas tree to make space in the Town Hall! People from all over have been very generous; 8
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our landlord has been incredibly good to us! We saw people from across the community helping us to get the huge mess sorted out. It was incredible to receive such excellent support from the council, who gave us skips and arranged our temporary premises, and all of this while their own headquarters, library and offices were themselves flooded, they still went the extra mile to ensure we were catered for. It is such a credit to our volunteers and the community as a whole that we were so well supported that we didn’t have to stop operating as a food bank even through the devastation of the floods.
ROCHDALE FOODBANK STATS 2015 FOOD DONATED:
49,055Kg
ADULTS FED:
4268
CHILDREN FED:
2222
VOUCHERS USED:
3314
FOOD GIVEN OUT:
44,181 Kg
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So it was that we were able to open our doors, as planned, on 29th December. We were in the Town Hall for another week and a half before, with tremendous efforts from our volunteers, we moved back to 9-10 South Parade. No 8 is now also ready, and having moved back in we are now operating from both premises again. We know that some of the other businesses affected by the flood have still not been able to re-open, so it’s incredible that in the face of total destruction we didn’t lose a single day’s work and were still able to support the town’s most vulnerable families. Although we lost 7 tons of food, incredibly, we’d taken out insurance just weeks before – something we’ve never done in the past. All our food was insured! We have been given grants from the council and government flood relief so, incredibly, we have not suffered any loss. We believe that God has been helping us from the very beginning. We believe He causes things to fall into place for us. So many of the good things that surround the food bank are God-given.
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When people work to accomplish God’s agenda – in this case providing food for those in need – it’s almost as though He is working with them. The countless stories of well-timed provision are often called coincidences; many who have a faith would rather call them miracles. reeted the p. s of what g h p ra g to ing clean-u o A few ph d the ensu an ay D g n oxi team on B
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Jesus said:
IWhoever am the floigl ho walk have in darkthe
lif
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htowsof methe wiworll notd. kness, but wi l e light of
fe.
From the Bible: John 8:12 OPENHOPE Magazine
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G D I E R S B ” “ SINGING
FOR YOUR
S U P PE R
O
BECKY WHITE EXPLORES THE WORLD AND WORK OF ‘BRIDGES’
n a cold, damp, February night, the warm and friendly atmosphere of Bridges provides a welcome respite from the elements. Grouped around tables, some of Rochdale’s most vulnerable men and women are enjoying good conversation, a few laughs and a hot square meal. Volunteers move purposefully around the room engaging guests in lively conversations, many of which will lead to vital advice and advocacy provision. At one table,
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a volunteer is supporting a guest to read through some hospital appointment letters. According to the most recent official statistics, there are over 250 people registered as officially homeless in Rochdale. This does not include hundreds more who might be called ‘hidden homeless’ - sleeping on friends’ couches, living in bed and breakfast accommodation, or hostels or refuges. NHS statistics show that Rochdale fares significantly worse than the England average in
alcohol problems, rates of mental illness, drug misuse and statutory homelessness. Stewart is one man whose life has been blighted by some of these problems. Made homeless at 15 after leaving his parents’ house, he has lived on and off the streets for the past 16 years. Struggling with alcohol addictions, he has moved from hostel to hostel, getting a bed for the night wherever he can. For him, Bridges has been a steady presence throughout the years, providing food, company and a listening ear. At Christmas, Bridges
meals and carol services have sometimes been the only thing he has had to look forward to. Here, he has found a community of people who truly understand his situation, who he can talk to without fear of judgement, and who he can trust to offer good advice and practical support. It’s been over 17 years since Bridges started reaching out to the local community. It began with a group of Christians from various churches in the town taking sandwiches and hot drinks to people congregating in Broadfield Park. By 1999, Bridges
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“Isn’t this the kind of activity I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice... ...to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter.” Isaiah 58:6 and 7
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According to the most recent official statistics, there are over
250 people registered as officially homeless in Rochdale.
This does not include hundreds more who might be called
‘hidden’ homeless
Who are sleeping on friends’ couches, living in bed and breakfast accommodation, hostels or refuges. OPENHOPE Magazine
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had begun hosting a hot meal one evening each week and, in 2003, the group officially became a charity. Over the years, services have grown and developed to meet the needs of clients. Bridges provides a unique, non-threatening service to vulnerable adults who may be suspicious of statutory services. On Monday evenings, Bridges opens its doors and invites people to share a hot meal and some good conversation. During the evening, guests and volunteers will sing a hymn or a few Christian songs, and then hear a short talk from somebody - maybe a life story, or a Bible teaching. The aim is to build relationships with local people who are struggling through homelessness or addiction, and to offer practical support. In the winter, Bridges volunteers give out warm socks and hats, and help rough sleepers to access emergency beds. They take people to hospital appointments, go to court with them, help them to keep in contact with children who are in Local Authority care, write to
people in prison and support them on release, and support those escaping homelessness by helping them move into their new homes and sourcing vital furniture and supplies. The name Bridges is apt. Not only is the charity building bridges with and for vulnerable people, but it also builds bridges between the local churches and those who need help. Through Bridges and their links with other organisations, the local church is kept informed about the needs of people in the town, and relationships can be formed between people who might never have met otherwise. Many Bridges regulars now feel more comfortable about visiting local churches and becoming regular attenders in part because they have already met some of the people there. Of course, crossing that metaphorical bridge to volunteer for a charity like Bridges might seem a daunting prospect for some. It certainly did for volunteer Dave Baker who was initially
I left home when I was 15, I’ve been on the streets ever since.
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Stewart, 37, left home when he was just 15. Living rough for much of the time since then, he now wants to begin studying as he works towards employment. OPENHOPE Magazine
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reluctant to get more involved. “I visited Bridges a few times,” said Dave, “and just thought, I don’t think that’s something I could do. It seemed quite a challenge!” But once Dave had met the volunteers and the guests and spent some time around them, he realised that it was simpler than it looked. “It’s just people talking to people, sharing what’s going on in your life. It’s a natural way of sharing my compassion and God’s love and I thought, I can do this!” Links between Bridges and the wider community continue to grow. At Christmas time, volunteers from St Anne’s Academy put on a special event at Bridges, leading to the unexpected but wonderful sight of Anne, a homeless lady, standing side-by-side with the Headteacher of the Academy, as they sang Christmas Carols together. As volunteer Dave says, where else would you see that happen? There are many stories of growth, change and hope coming through the support that Bridges offers. People who were homeless are now living in their own flats. Those who were alcoholics are now free from that addiction. In 2009, a 20
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former client returned to Bridges to share his own story of freedom from addiction to drugs and a new life as a Christian. He stood fearlessly in front of his old friends - people who knew his past - and gave testimony to his transformed life, giving thanks to God. In the three years since his last visit, he’d been completely free of drugs, married his soul mate and passed his driving test. His is just one inspirational story of a life turned round. As for Stewart, well, the future is looking brighter. A fellow Bridges regular has offered him space in his flat so he is no longer sleeping on the streets. Through contacts made at Bridges, he is now volunteering at Hebron Church helping to distribute food to the homeless and those with addictions, and also working at their breakfast club. With his experience he hopes to gain access to a food hygiene course that will help him into employment. The volunteers at Bridges will stand with him every step of the way because, as Dave says, “It’s about befriending - doing the things that a friend might do for you if you were in that situation. This is the love of God.”
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“Work ha your whole l
AG THE M ES S
FROM
B
... E IBL
E
pension i
But Go is rea
ETERNA
delivered our Ma
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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)
ard for sin life and your
is death.
od’s gift al life,
AL LIFE
by Jesus, aster.”
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Re-born this way
By Matthew Joseph Burt
Don’t ask me to relent, Don’t ask me to apologise, Don’t ask me to hide my face, No, I won’t wear disguise,
I serve the risen lamb, So I can never be ashamed, His blood can make the foulest clean. And his blood removed my stain,
Don’t try to read between the lines, Don’t try to remove my mask, This is my actual face, Just in case you ask,
Your God is in your gut, And your glory is in your shame, And I don’t want that kind of glory, I don’t want that kind of fame,
I don’t wanna hide no more; (Ashamed of who I am), You may serve the public perception, But I serve the Son of man,
The honour that I want The honour that I seek, Is for the one lifts the humble And beautifies the meek,
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The one who lifts the lowly, And who regards the poor, Who uplifts the downcast, Glorified evermore,
Even though he entirely sees us, The name of the one who bore the blame, The Name of Our Lord Jesus,
You say that it’s undignified, To serve a ‘creation myth’, But I say I’ll become, Even more undignified than this,
Never covered with shame Not ashamed of the name of him who bled at Calvary, Not ashamed of the Son of man, And he is not ashamed of me,
I could never be ashamed, Of the one who died for me, The one who bore my disgrace, Strung up naked on that tree, He took all my shame away, He turned it on its head, My shame was killed that day, My pride was left for dead, He was not ashamed, Not of me or any of the others, He is not ashamed, To call them his brothers, We go to him, outside the camp, Bearing his disgrace, In humility we worship, As we look towards His face, Those who look to him are radiant, Their faces never covered with shame, Their lips are never slow, To name the name above all names The name of the one who loves,
You may think that this is foolishness, But I know who I’ve believed, He is able to keep what I’ve entrusted, I know I’ll be received, So don’t ask me to apologise, I don’t care what men may say, This is who I truly am, I can’t help it, I was re-born this way, I’m not ashamed of the gospel, Nor the one I love, I’m not trying to please people, But my Father above, No I’m not ashamed of the gospel, Because he is unashamed of me, And it is the power of god, To save and set us free. For more poetry by Matthew visit: matthewjosephpoet.blogspot.co.uk
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Churches across the town gather to celebrate Easter in unity and in public.
A UNITED The Whit Walks may not feel as grand an affair as they perhaps were in the last century. The picture below shows ceremony and tradition being upheld by a united community, happily publicising their shared faith. That same faith - Christianity - is still the strong
1950...
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glue that bonds so many hundreds of people together within our town. Easter 2016 offered another opportunity for that unifying faith to be demonstrated in public. And so, once again, Christians gathered in our town centre to proclaim the faith that forms the basis of
WITNESS their transformed lives. More than just a service outside, this particular service demonstrated one of the beautiful qualities of Christianity - its ability, one might say its insistence, that Christians are united. That sense of unity was made visible as leaders and
parishioners from across the town gathered together. Standing together declaring their devotion to one God were Anglicans, Baptists, Pentecostals, free churches and the Salvation Army, each declaring a faith which is truly personal, but never private!
...2016
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To all who did receive Him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become From: The Bible, The Gospel of John Chapter 1 verse 8
CHILDREN
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CHILD OF GOD? It’s easy to reduce Christianity to a set of rules... “Be good. Don’t be bad. You’ll be fine” But the reality of what Christianity is all about is far deeper and actually far better:
It’s about becoming family. At the very beginning of John’s retelling of Jesus’ life, he opens up the big picture of God’s plan in sending Jesus:
Jesus - the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn’t even recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God The good news is that Jesus doesn’t sit back and wait for us to be good enough. He gave his perfection in our place, knowing we could never be good enough in our own strength.
Any debt of heaven’s justice system has already been paid in full by Jesus. If we believe that Jesus’ message was true, we can begin to enjoy relationship with God himself through Jesus Christ, His Son, taking up the offer of being adopted into God’s family. If you’d like to explore who God is, what He actually says and offers, why not come and spend some time with a few of His children? OPENHOPE Magazine
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HOWAR
WILKINSO
MIXING BUSINESS & PLEA
OPENHOPE spoke to one of Rochdale’s m and hard-working photographers about ho Christian changes the way he lives and wo Last year saw my tenth anniversary of setting sail on the adventure called “running your own business”. At times it has been tough, and money has sometimes been tight, but my testimony is that I am still here, even through the years of the credit crunch! My faith teaches me to operate at all times with integrity, fairness and honesty, honouring my God in all that I do. This includes the freedom to bless people for free with my photography.
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I have been on a Christian mission to Africa and provided the organisation with promotional photos. I have been able to work with ‘Gift Of A Wedding’, who provide weddings for people with terminal illnesses, as well as help other businesses get started or promote themselves. I’ll even shoot the occasional wedding as a gift where I feel there is reason enough to do so, as well as make donations from what I earn to charities who work in the community or support disabled children.
RD
ON
ASURE
most respected ow being a orks. I don’t say this to look good. It’s just a small part of what I can give back because of the amazing things God has provided for me! I was brought up going to church each week, and being taught the values of morality, love and integrity, against a backdrop of the teachings of the Bible. My first memory of an act of faith comes from when I was just 6. My father was explaining to me and my sister, in the car, that we could
‘ask Jesus into our hearts’. I trusted implicitly everything that my father told me. My response was to agree and he led me and my sister in a prayer to do just that. I believe that moment was a defining one in my life, even though I had little or no understanding of exactly what it meant at the time. Faith is something very personal that can only be based on our own decision, and a time had to come later in life when I would confirm that prayer based on my own decision, OPENHOPE Magazine
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I realised it was time to make this faith my own, by my own choice. It was time to grow up and stand on my own two feet, and I knew that following Jesus was what I wanted for my life. My Christian faith, while deeply personal, has deeply impacted all aspects of my life, including my profession. It’s being a Christian that has caused me to approach my work with generosity, charity and compassion as integral elements of my business. This last year has seen a few highlights, such as being asked for the use of a couple of my photos by National Geographic TV, having a rather nice photo of Professor Brian Cox, taken in our own Town Hall, re-tweeted to his 1.6 million followers, starting to do food photography for Andrew Nutter and, most recently, using the quieter time at the beginning of this year to raise funds to help other small businesses affected by the Boxing Day floods in the town centre. Little did I realise when I started OPENHOPE Magazine
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that we would manage the grand total of just over £4,000.00, or be so overwhelmed by the warmth and willingness of the people of Rochdale to join in to help. A friend once told me that he believed what we call ‘answered prayers’ are just normal coincidences. I have to be honest and say I have found that, when you trust in God and pray, those ‘coincidences’ seem to happen so much more often, even including the miraculous appearance of fuel in my car
To find out more about Howard’s work, or to book him for your event, visit: www.howardwilkinsonphotography.co.uk 34
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- but that’s another story! It has not all been plain sailing, but there have also been so many moments where a chance encounter, a bizarre connection or an unexpected donation have made such a difference to the way my life has gone. I stand in humble gratitude and amazement, and can only take my next breath and step in the firm belief that God is on my side and knows what I need, and to seek in all I do to honour him.
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HEAD HIGH. MIND MADE. EYES CLEAR. LIFE SAVED.
CONFIDENT IN GOD
HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS MEET HIM HERE: CHAMPNESS HALL CHURCH, DRAKE STREET, ROCHDALE SUNDAYS 10:30am - 07717 578 540