Greenhill Community Church

Greenhill is one of the poorest and most deprived communities within North West Leicestershire, and at its heart is Greenhill Community Church. It provides a variety of support for the people in its community, and The David Wilson Foundation recognised this work and asked how it could help.

As a ward, North West Leicestershire on the whole is an economic success story, it sits within the ‘golden triangle’ of the East Midlands, with an airport, inland rail port, and sits at the crossroads of the UK’s motorway network, making it the ideal site for logistics operations. All factors helping contribute to the areas growing success.

Coalville, a proud history

Coalville has the biggest concentration of population in North West Leicestershire, and it’s where the David Wilson story started, so it has a special place in the hearts of those at the Foundation. It’s sad, that this once proud mining town, seems to now have some of the most deprived areas within the UK.

Wonderful people, doing great work

There are many organisations in the local areas supporting those people who fall between the cracks, and Greenhill Community Church is a model example of all that is good in the community. Pauline Collins, Church Secretary, explains it relies on fantastic volunteers, plus the support of neighbouring churches, and volunteer agencies, to provide a portfolio of support to the local community.

“The breadth and depth of support we offer almost has no bounds, we take each person, their circumstances, and needs on a ‘case by case’ basis. The support we provide ranges from pastoral and company, to providing an emergency lifeline to those in desperate circumstances. Whether this is food for those who otherwise would go without, to help with energy costs where people are literally in the cold and dark. In the most serious cases we’ve helped in the re-housing of people escaping difficult circumstances. In some cases we provide the conduit for those who have no way of accessing the support they need, because of literacy problems and therefore lack the ability to navigate the social support system. We listen to them, and work with other agencies to ensure they can access the support they are entitled too, as well as providing direct interventions wherever possible.”

The David Wilson Foundation donation will be put to good use

One of the ways Greenhill Community Church provides support to the local community is their ‘drop-in Fridays’ – this is called Kingsgate and operates as a café style drop in centre. It’s a safe, warm, and welcoming environment, where anyone attending is offered a snack lunch, a cup of tea or coffee, and cake. This helps anyone alone in the community to get out, engage with others, and combat loneliness and feelings of isolation.

It also helps develop trust, so those in need feel safe in sharing their struggles – and whatever the situation they may find themselves in, they know there is a lifeline they can call upon. In addition to this, food bags are regularly distributed to those identified as in greatest need. The donation provided by The David Wilson Foundation will be put to good use, and it was a boost to the volunteers to have the work they do recognised by the charity.

If you are interested in finding out more please visit:

www. greenhillcommunitychurch.org.uk