Many thanks to all who generously supported the Community Family Lunch this summer!  

The pilot project run by Churches Together in Melton offered a significant number of families the chance to eat a freshly-cooked lunch together once a week for six weeks over July and August. A total of 159 meals were served at the Fairmead Sure Start Centre and we were also able to distribute a further 355 meals via Myst Lodge, Westbourne House, Storehouse at the Fox and others.

Do come along to the coffee and cakes morning at the Source (opposite the Regal cinema) on Saturday 1 November, from 11am–1pm, where you can celebrate the success of this year's Community Family Lunch and hear about our plans to run it at two venues next year. 

This appeal went out to all parents at St Francis school over the half term holidays. Hopefully we'll get all the cutlery we need! Click on the document below to see the electronic flyer that wen

Here's a link to the Family Food Project video. A couple of things have changed since the video was made. Rather than asking a different church to do each week, we're looking for volunteers who are willing to do one or more weeks, depending on availability. We'd also like to recruit volunteers from across the community, not just from local churches. If you'd like to volunteer to help, please complete the online application form.

Hi all, hope everyones keeping well over the big gap covering Easter.
I've potentially had a bit of good news. I've been speaking to Fare Share and they're really interested in our project. I was initially advised of the £1000 annual membership fee! thankfully the conversation didn't end there. As we are the first project like this that they know of and they happen to have just been awarded a community grant and they like what we're planning, they're looking at doing it for free for the first year as a pilot, though there may be some delivery costs - it's all to be confirmed....watch this space! :-)

They feel that we could get at least 80% of the food we need from them. They said that meat, veg and bread are plentiful during the summer months although we will only know what food we'll get the week before but if we're creating one pot (ish) type recipes then this shouldn't matter too much. Each delivery is about 200kg of food! We will have further discussions about how far in advance the delivery would arrive and possible storage issues when I speak with them again.

Have a fabulous Easter.
(come see me get Baptised this Sunday at Melton Vineyard (Pera), you're all welcome. Service starts 10.30am until 12pm)

Julie

Hi everyone, 
we've finally had a response from Mars and they're asking us what support we would like:

What is it you specifically need from us? As we have a few options:

1.       Food – you know our brands – we make products that need to be served hot – just thinking if you have the capacity to work with our products just need to work up the plans with your family events eg we would not work well with BBQ events etc.

2.       Money – if you wanted to apply for financial support this would be an application via our website which is www.marsinthecommunity.co.uk

3.       Associate Time- if you would be able to let me know the timetable of events then I could promote the work to associates to see if we can get some volunteers to get involved.


Please use this space to post suggestions and ideas of what you think would be the best direction for us to go.
I'll let Mars know once we're all decided.

thanks. Julie.

The updated Family Food Presentation DVDs have now been sent out to all the churches. You can also watch the video online here.

Hi all, the minutes for the last meeting are now posted, sorry for the delay i had some technical problems, the gears stuck in my brain! also the agenda for Tuesday is ready. See you at the Fox ready to start at 1.15pm. 

Hi all, please find the meeting minutes for the above date in the meetings tab. we also now have confirmation of a room booking for all event days at the Surestart Centre on Fairmead for Tuesdays 9am - 3pm (to allow time for cooking in the morning and clear up in the afternoon). Document available to view in the meetings section.
Next meeting set for Tue 18th March 1.15pm at The Fox.

The agenda for the next meeting can be located in the MEETINGS tab, usual password. This agenda does look long but some of it is quick handover points. Please note the meeting is now at The Fox, Leicester Street. Due to The Fox's popularity we need to move the meeting back by 15 minutes so as not to disrupt the earlier session. We now aim to start by 1.15pm and finish by 2.45pm, sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

In order for the Family Food Project to work, we think we're going to need people to lead on the tasks below. 

Please could you have a think before the meeting to see whether you, or someone in your church, would be a good fit? 

Thanks!

Lead Co-ordinator communicates with all other Leads and the churches re progress, support, timing etc. 

Agency co-ordination builds relationships with external agencies and directs and supports communication between them and the teams within Churches Together. POSITION FILLED - THANKS HELEN!

Fund Raising leads on funding applications and other possible avenues of income or financial support. will be needed periodically from now up to the event.

Events Co-ordination communicates with all Churches Together churches to support a summer programme of events, help with generating ideas; a consistent face in the community. This is an ongoing task and will be needed increasingly as the event nears.

Planning and Advertising plans the details of how the system will work e.g. signing up, advertising etc. Most of the work required in this area will be in advance of the event but there will be need to oversee some tasks as the event nears.

Food Donations making contact with agencies through the agency coordinator to ensure supply meets current needs, communication with Churches regarding this supply in terms of recipes; themes etc. This role will be needed throughout the project.

Training Opportunities  appropriate Church volunteers required to cook for families and to undertake level 2 hygiene certificates.

We are obviously not looking for professionals to help with these tasks but we do need people with the ability to carry them out and be enthusiastic about getting stuck into feeding our families in Melton .

All Leaders will aim to have volunteers working to support them in their role in addition to having the support of Julie McCarthy, Project Lead.

Other Opportunities

Volunteers able to support any of the tasks above. If you have a particular skill, whether that’s praying for people or being welcoming to strangers to being good at organising or just good on the phone then we need your skills. Please get in touch with Julie McCarthy on 07779 411730.

Additional information
Meetings for each team can be held at times and days to suit them as long as progress is maintained in time with the overall project.

All task Leads will need to report to the Steering group with any progress, difficulties or questions to be put to the group at least 3 working days before the meeting in order to be added to the agenda for discussion.