Coalville Foodbank & New Life Church Donation

The New Life Church in Coalville is a part of a national network of foodbanks, and the DWF donations have helped with the building of a café area, warehousing, and other aspects to support their operations.

Alison Carr, Administrator for the Coalville Foodbank & New Life Church, explains how they came across the foundation, her experience of the grant application process, and how the funding has helped them support the local community.

How did you find out about the David Wilson Foundation?

David Wilson Homes is synonymous with Coalville and most local people know the David Wilson story. However, I only came across the David Wilson Foundation (DWF) after researching possible grant funding options. Our church had ambitious plans to add an extension to house a warehouse to expand storage for the foodbank, and convert an existing area into a café area. The total project costs were approximately £270,000.00 and it was funded through a mixture of grants, fundraising and a small mortgage.

What was your experience of the DWF grant application process?

To be honest, it was much easier than the other grant applications I submitted, they required pages of questions and supporting information. In comparison the DWF needed a brief overview of our project, who we were, and it was submitted online. Our application was approved by the Foundation Team, who then approached us to provide a little more detail, but it was all very straight forward.

Who does the Foodbank serve?

The church and the Foodbank serve the local community in the LE67 postcode area. We also have a third element to the support we provide in the form of Hope67 ‘Community Money Advice’ - a service focused on providing financial guidance across North West Leicestershire. Although we are a Christian organisation, we’re focused upon helping anyone who requests our help, whether they have a faith or none at all.

How has the grant funding helped?

Every bit of funding we get enables us to support people in need within our community. The grant funding support was a contribution of £500 towards our foodbank and café construction works. The café area provides us with a welcoming space to sit, listen to the issues people are experiencing, and provide guidance on the support available. It also provides a comfortable area for people to simply drop-in, get a coffee or tea, and meet others within the community. The extension provided a dedicated warehouse space which enabled us to store more donations and provide this critical lifeline to more people in crisis.

For more information on the organisations featured please visit:

www.newlifechurchcoalville.co.uk

www.coalville.foodbank.org.uk

www.hope67.org.uk