COVENTRYJESUSCENTREworship • friendship • help for all

2013Annual review of

Celebrating Friendship

Welcome Welcome to the Coventry Jesus Centre

Annual Review 2013. My name is Shirin Bhakshi and I would like to share with you about how the Jesus Centre has changed my life. It is a safe refuge for people in diffi culty. When I was in Iran, I had many problems when I converted from Islam to Chris anity. My life was in danger when my family found out that I was no longer a Muslim. One of my friends helped me to come to the UK for safety. When I came here I was lost, lonely and depressed. I had a lot of diffi culty in understanding the English language. One day, my friend told me to come to the Jesus Centre as they run free ESOL classes. When I came here I saw that people are very welcoming and friendly. I could see that people’s behaviour was diff erent here compared to Iran or any other place I have been. When I started coming to the Jesus Centre for my classes, I soon found many friends and family. I also started volunteering as an assistant in the classes to help others. There are so many things you can get involved with. I recently ran an Iranian cooking course which reminded me of my country. I also joined the Bible study group, which helps me in reading and understanding the Bible. I volunteer on Sundays at the Bridge drop-in where I make friends and reach out to the lost and lonely. Some mes a er my classes I go to the Well Café where I enjoy drinking a cup of tea. A er an encounter with God on a Sunday morning service, I found the church I was looking for. I am no longer depressed and pessimis c about my life. The Jesus Centre has given me so much and I want to now help many others in the same way. I’m proud to be part of this family. Please do feel free to come along and see what we can do for you or maybe what you may be able to do to help others here.

2013 was a busy year and I would like to share with you some of the highlights in our journey from my perspec ve as Services Manager Volunteers are our lifeblood. One commented that volunteering here had restored her faith in chari es as she sees the Jesus Centre helping people out of love, not just for money. Some 6th formers from Barrs Hill School are volunteering as part of their weekly curriculum. I and all the staff team are so grateful to all our amazing volunteers (between 65 and 70 throughout 2013). We have also been linking with other churches and agencies increasing our impact as we work in partnership. During 2013 we took part in the Pentecost Fair, the Community Informa on Fair and the Coventry Partnership/Coventry Chris ans joint conference on the eff ects of Welfare Reform. We fi nd that other agencies add a lot of value to what we can do here. Our long term medical partners, the Anchor Centre, the Podiatry team and the Oral Health nurse con nue to serve our many visitors. In 2013 we welcomed new agencies: The Samaritans giving help with mental health issues, the Crisis UK Skylight team started a ‘Maths for Work’ class and a drama class and the Midland Heart Rough Sleepers Personalisa on Project help our visitors to take steps out of homelessness. Helping our visitors is obviously the most important thing we do and throughout this review you will fi nd some stories of how coming to the Jesus Centre has helped them. I am really encouraged when I hear stories like Harry who was sleeping rough and came to get a food parcel and asked for some advice about housing. A er referring him to another local agency, he got accommoda on within two weeks

ContentsAim 1: Mee ng Needs ..................4-5Aim 2: Building Capacity ...............6-7Aim 3: Promo ng Chris anity ......8-9Aim 4: Developing Social Skills .....10-11Aim 5a: Being an Eff ec ve Charity- Developing Volunteers ...............12-13Aim 5b: Being an Eff ec ve Charity- Working with Other Agencies ....14-15Our Figures ...................................16Looking Forward ...........................17Thankyou and Giving ....................18-19

Our Mission:Expressing the love of Jesus daily in worship, friendship and help for every kind of person

and came back in to thank us. Or Marcin, who came in to collect his post as he had been advised by the postman that this was a good place to use as a postal address. Now he has got a job and accommoda on and says how helpful it has been to have a safe place for his post to come to regularly. I con nue to be incredibly blessed by all our donors – from private individuals, members of our own and other churches through to Charitable Trusts and local businesses – so many help us con nue to provide services. Highlights in 2013: Bag packing at Morrisons; Coventry Food Bank pledging our weekly requirement of baked beans and ASDA Superstore nomina ng us as their Food Poverty charity raising over £500 in cash and over £900 in donated food/cleaning items.

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Services include:The Bridge Drop-InSupport Workers

Foodbank and rough sleeper food parcelsRecep on

Your Fitness

Meeting NeedTo give material help and personal support

“I’ve made plenty of friends”

AIM 1

Read full story here >

ErastoI was working at Central Six Shopping Centre

as a car valeter. One evening I had ran out of cigare es and nipped out to buy some in a nearby shop in Bell Green. As I came out of the shop, a group of kids gathered around me and called out, “Give us a fag!” I knew they were underage and said, “No”. Next, they a acked me with a baseball bat. I was in a coma for a year, strapped to a machine. Later I spent me in rehab. Two years ago a friend told me about Coventry Jesus Centre. I felt very comfortable when I came. I come to every session at the Bridge drop-in and have free breakfasts. I also do IT with Tony and go to ‘Your Space’. I’ve made plenty of friends here. I really enjoy the ‘Jesus Times’ in the Bridge. I love to hear other people talk about their experience of Jesus and I learn from them. Tschaka has prayed with me too!

Names have been changed

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Services include:Your Art

Your LearningESOL

IT for StartersRe-Cycle

Cookery Course

Building CapacityTo help people make real progress in their lives

“The support workers helped me move to a really nice one bed fl at”

AIM 2

Read full story here >

Jeremy I had been working for 4 years at a large hotel

helping in the kitchen and thought things were going great. One day I had gone into the kitchen when it was not my shi as it was a live-in job. I didn’t get on with one of the porters who was looking out for anything I did wrong. He reported me and I was given 4 weeks’ no ce, which obviously meant I lost my accommoda on as well as my job. This meant I could not get benefi ts for 3 months. I went to live with friends for about 4 weeks, ‘sofa surfi ng’ where ever I could. During this me I came to the Jesus Centre for something to

eat and applied to be put on the Bond Scheme. To begin with, I was helped to get into a bedsit but this was cold and ta y, so the Support Workers helped me move again to a really nice one bedroomed fl at.

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Services include:Bible Life

The Bible and First StepsConnect4Youth

Sunday Night events

Promoting ChristianityTo advance the Chris an faith, facilitate Jesus Fellowship Events and provide spiritual services.

“I appreciate the prayer and friendship I have found here.”

AIM 3

Read full story here >

MariuzsMariuzs came to the Bridge for basic needs

while he was sleeping rough, using the computers to fi nd employment, and some mes sleeping during sessions at the Centre when he had been working all night! We prayed with him regularly for his own situa on and for his family in Latvia and he began to come to various church events through the week. One day he got talking to Rob, a member of staff , about music and said that he could play the saxophone. Rob had a saxophone and brought it down to the Jesus Centre and although the instrument itself was not in the best of condi on, Mariuzs made it really ‘sing’. His face lit up as he played and soon he joined the church band, playing in the Sunday mee ngs. As well as the prac cal support he found at the Jesus Centre, Mariuzs appreciated the prayer and friendship he found here.

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Names have been changed

Services include:Young At Heart

Computer AccessYour Space ac vity zone

The Well Café

Developing Social SkillsTo foster friendships and provide recrea onal and community facili es

“I don’t want to miss it.

It is part of my life!”

AIM 4

Read full story here >

AvtarI’ve been coming to the Jesus Centre on and

off for a few years now, mainly to Your Space. Your Space is fantas c as it is consistent. I don’t want to miss it. It is part of my life. People are very friendly and I’ve had an opportunity to meet new people. There are free drinks and some mes things to eat and an opportunity to play table tennis and chess. The atmosphere is pre y posi ve. I also come to the free Gym sessions on Thursdays. I fi nd this much be er than just doing exercises on my own at home. Here you have got all the equipment: ke le bells, trampoline, weights and I can do boxercise. It is like a mini workout as well as playing table tennis – it is just down my street! If you join a club it costs a lot of money and you may not be accepted if you are not a good enough player. That can be demoralising. Here you can come in and go out as you want. Tony is friendly and helps me to li my standards – he ha s given me some coaching for table tennis. I have fun and the facili es are good here.

1110

Jo Coming to the Jesus Centre has changed my

life completely. I have gained family, friends and a church. I worship here. It is more than just somewhere I come to, it is my life. Having taken early re rement and then being widowed I wanted more voluntary work, having done a bit of helping in a charity shop. I was invited to come down to the Jesus Centre and this opened up so many more opportuni es for me. The fi rst thing I did as a volunteer, was cleaning the toilets! But then I was asked if I wanted to help with ESOL classes. That led to the Tutor asking me to run short courses where I had to research material and develop a plan for the course myself. As well as teaching I have found that I have been learning about other cultures too. We work in small groups and get to know a bit more about each other. It helps to form real rela onships with them – they become friends. We have learners from Eritrea, Poland, Ethiopia, Russia, Rumania, China and Iran – each with their own culture. I also help in the Bridge – it feels like the lounge belongs to the visitors. You learn an awful lot from people who have got nothing. Making friends can be as simple as sitting down to share a breakfast with them. I also enjoy serving in the Café and helping on recep on. Being able to listen is some mes enough, but signpos ng people to someone who can help is also great.

Being an eff ective charityDeveloping Volunteers

Read full story here >

“The Jesus Centre has changed my life completely”

AIM 5a

Services include:Opportuni es to Volunteer

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Simon Simon Winterman from Crisis shares his

thoughts with us about the drama group he runs at the Jesus Centre. “A group of 6-8 people get together every Thursday to explore the world of theatre. As they progressed through the course they have discovered new confi dence and faced some of their fears of being in front of an audience. “A recent project involved reading a monologue from Romeo and Juliet. We learned about plays in Shakespeare’s me, which gave us an insight into the context of the play, the audience and the style of wri ng. “Learning about facial expressions, ar cula on and body language not only educates you in terms of drama studies but also helps in building confi dence for day to day ac vi es. ‘B’ a ends the drama group regularly and said that it has helped her grow in confi dence especially when using the telephone.” The group has performed a sketch in front of over 100 people at a local Rugby club and aims to do more! Simon says he loves working in partnership with the Jesus Centre. “This is all about giving people support to believe in themselves. Running the group brings me a lot of sa sfac on, it reminds me of how much I love the theatre.” Our plan for the future is to have street plays in Coventry city centre and con nue performing at various places.

Being an eff ective charityTo work construc vely with other agencies

Read full story here >

“Giving people support

to believe in themselves”

AIM 5b

Agencies we work with include:Anchor Medical TeamCrisis Skylight project

Midland Heart Personalisa on ProjectThe Oral Health TeamThe Podiatry Service

The Samaritans and The Trussel Trust

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How did we do?

What people came toBelow is a view of the balance of what people came to in 2013. There is quite a spread of activity of different kinds.

OutcomesWe recorded over 1400 posi ve outcomes for people. An outcome might be a cer fi cate for ESOL, moving to a fl at, reducing drinking, becoming a volunteer, ge ng bap sed or many other things. It all makes a real diff erence to people’s lives.

All about moneyThis is where our money came from:It cost around £150K to run the Jesus Centre in 2013. 40% of our income came from Jesus Fellowship Church members, which gives us a fi rm base. Local people donated over £17,000, for which amazing support we are very grateful. £21k of statutory funding from Suppor ng People funded the Bond Scheme, and a further £21k came from charitable Trust Funds. We also raised money from le ng our premises to other groups and from our café.

This is what we spent it onWe spent the majority of our money on fulfi lling our charitable aims. Money spent publicising our work brings a fi nancial return as well as raising awareness of the needs of the people we serve. There is a small cost of administra on and overheads in le ng our building to other groups, but this is far outweighed by the income generated as well as the benefi t to them.

2013 was a busy year for us at the Jesus Centre with plenty of challenges, opportuni es and

blessings on the way. It’s been good to work with diff erent agencies across the city that have helped enhance the services we off er here at the Jesus Centre. It was great as well to have 70 ac ve volunteers by the end of the year, a fantas c bunch of people who we couldn’t do without! Reading about and seeing the diff erence made in people’s lives in 2013 is amazing and it’s humbling to be a part of that. Now we’re looking forward into 2014 and beyond to see how we can serve the city more eff ec vely. In the wake of the recent welfare reforms and the ongoing fi nancial struggles many families and individuals are facing, we’re looking at various new services. We’re opening the centre on Friday evenings with a range of free clubs, courses and groups, and at the same me crea ng more volunteering opportuni es. But we’re also aware that it’s the quality of what’s on off er rather than the quan ty. At the heart of our vision is the desire to see the love of Jesus touch the lives of every type of person, whether that’s prac cally through services such as the Foodbank and Skills Training, or simply by listening and making friends. Thanks for your con nued support and friendship. We’re so grateful for the dona ons of food, clothing and money we receive and to our family of volunteers who give their me and energy to make things happen. Just as importantly, we really do value your prayers and friendship. Communica ng with our supporters is key and so I would ask that you’d help us to stay in touch. You can either join our mailing list by visi ng www.jesuscentre.org.uk/coventry and clicking ‘Get In Touch’ or ‘like’ our Facebook page www.facebook.com/coventryjesuscentre Thank you again and God blessRob

Looking Forward

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ASDA Warwick Park

Asian Chris an Fellowship

Bablake School

Barr’s Hill School

Billingtons

Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

Cliff ord Bridge Community Associa on

Community Mental Health Team South

Coventry North Inner Wheel

Hillfi elds Chris an Fellowship

Keresley United Reformed Church

Meredith Road Bap st Church

Morrisons Binley

New Horizons Church

Po ers Green United Reformed Church

Quinton Park Bap st Church

Radio Plus

Redeemed Chris an Church of God

Sainsbury Courthouse Green

St James Church Styvechale

St John the Bap st Church, Fleet Street

St Mary Magdalen Church

The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust

The Bridging Fund

The Cou s Charitable Trust

The Finest Fudge Company

The Park House Charitable Trust

The Rotary Club of Coventry

Walsgrave Bap st Church

Wyken United Reformed Church

and many other individuals.

Thankyou

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COVENTRYJESUSCENTREworship • friendship • help for all

There are Jesus Centres in Northampton (0845 1668202), London (0845 8333005) and Sheffi eld (01142521155). Na onal Jesus Centre informa on is available from www.jesuscentre.org.uk. Jesus Centres are set up and run by the Jesus Army Charitable Trust. JACT is a registered charity (no. 1091912) and a Faithworks Affi liate. JACT is an ini a ve of the Jesus Fellowship Church which is a member of the Evangelical Allience.

Contact UsCoventry Jesus Centre7 lamb StreetCoventryWest MidlandsCV1 4AETel: 02476 550033Fax: 02476 550034info@coventryjesuscentre.org.ukwww.jesuscentre.org.uk/coventry

Opening HoursMonday ..............10.00am - 3.00pm

Tuesday ...............9.00am - 4.00pm

Wednesday .........9.00am - 4.00pm

Thursday .............9.00am - 4.00pm

Friday ..................9.00am - 4.00pm .................. 6.45pm - 9.30pm

Sunday ................9.00am - 10.30am

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