Local people working together to meet local needs:
The Diocese of Newcastle contains some of the most socially deprived areas in the country. Partners In Community Action (PICA) with the Church Urban Fund (CUF) is the Church’s response to social needs. Through it’s network of Parishes, the Church is at the heart of the community in every way and id therefore ideally placed to understand and serve the social needs of the community.
Our appeal is for work amongst the community, regardless of race or creed and is not for church funds. PICA is already in partnership with other grant making trusts and has leveraged many projects by providing seed-corn funding to help start projects within the diocese.
Since its inception, Pica, working alongside CUF has:
- Made over 90 grants to projects within the community.
- Helped fund projects amounting to nearly £2 million.
- Made grants ranging from £1,000 to over £40,000.
Each of these grants have been matched, and more by other trusts and government funding schemes, as well as local fundraising. Conservative estimates would suggest that the money has been at least doubled.
The range of activities undertaken by the projects is wide and varied:
- Kids clubs and youth projects
- Redevelopment of churches to creat more community space
- Help for asylum seekers
- Health promotion projects and caring for senior citizens
- Interfaith initiatives.
What we have achieved so far is thanks to your support, but PICA is a work in progress. Help us to continue this work by becoming a Partner in Community Action.
