lighthouse newsletter issue #1
TRANSCRIPT
1 registered charity #1135584
www.lighthouse-weston.org.uk
Welcome to the Lighthouse Post newsletter ...
We look forward to keeping you updated on what is happening with all of our pro-
jects in this, our new regular monthly update. 2015 has been a momentous year
for Lighthouse with the opening of the new Hub and the continued growth of our
projects. We also have a new set of Trustees who are working with me to take our
charity forward with our 5 year plan.
Lighthouse does so much good work, all because of our volunteers and supporters,
and without your commitment and hard work, the hope that we are bringing to
Weston would not be possible. Lighthouse is made up of many projects which ena-
bles folks with issues on their heart to realise their ambitions and to make a real
difference in other people’s lives. Each project is a business in itself with Light-
house providing support through volunteers, finance, compliance and administra-
tion, to ensure that every penny raised is used to maximum effect.
Our new Hub offers a great opportunity to deliver even more, to help many more
deserving people and to help us to raise much needed finance that we can pour
back into our projects. The Trustees are always
looking for ways to increase our income and to en-
sure that all of our projects are sustainable. Fund-
ing grants are becoming increasingly difficult to
obtain and we need significant resources just to
continue to provide all of out current services . In
the current economic climate much more is ex-
pected from the voluntary sector and yet there is
now less money to support us and so we have to work very hard to find the funds
we need and have to make every penny count.
Thank you for supporting Lighthouse in all that you do, and please continue to help
through fund raising events to support your favourite project or by becoming a
‘Lighthouse Keeper’.
May God’s blessings be on you … Denys Rayner, Chair of Trustees
As we come to the end of our
5th birthday year it's a great
time to thank everyone for all
their hard work and to look
forward to the next phase with
a new newsletter, a new home,
a new board of trustees and
some new projects in the pipe-
line. Thank you all for making
Lighthouse a unique charity
and a real pleasure to work for
and with! - Jo Southard,
Charity Development
Manager
In This Issue
Project Updates
Become a Lighthouse
Keeper
Fashion Show
Look Hugh’s Coming
A word from our
sponsor
@Lighthousewsm
It costs £5,000 per month (or
£166 every day) to keep all of
the projects at Lighthouse
going and we strive to keep
our administration below 20%
of our overall expenditure.
The Lighthouse Post
Lighthouse at Weston-super-Mare November 2015
Volume 1, Issue 1
ISSUE #1 NOVEMBER 2015
The Foodbank provides food and
provisions for people facing hardship
throughout the year. We work with over
70 local agencies who refer on average
around 25 families a week who are in need
of emergency help.
In September 2015, 172 people were fed
by the W-s-M Foodbank compared to 279
in the same month in 2014 and 299 in
September 2013. In the first three
quarters of 2015, 1,932 have been fed
compared with 2,451 people for the same
period last year.
Please keep your contributions coming as
we head into the festive season.
SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN CRISIS
Become a Lighthouse Keeper
Lighthouses have saved countless
lives over the centuries, warning
ships off the rocks in the dead of
night. The Lighthouse Keeper has a
critical part to play in maintaining
the lighthouse so that when the win-
ter storms come, ships can rely on
its guiding light to find their way
home.
If you feel able to give a regular
donation of £5 or more a month we
would be delighted to welcome you
to our illumination of Lighthouse
Keepers. In return you will receive a
membership card that entitles you
to 20% off all bookings at The Hub, a
mailed copy of this newsletter to
keep you up to date on all aspects of
our work and a complementary gift
to remind you of your commitment.
Just go to this address to register
your support and we will do the rest.
Click here or go to
www.localgiving.com and search for
Lighthouse at Weston ...
And help us to keep our light shining in W-s-M in 2016
A fabulous late October night for
Vision4Skills who received the highest
award from The Royal Horticultural
Society for their garden. Special thanks
to Lee Moore, Scott Cullen & David
Sherlock for all their hard work.
****
Volunteers for 2016 are urgently
needed to help at the hub including;
reception, clerical & admin, ICT, fundraising
& marketing, event planning and support,
hospitality, caretaking and cleaning.
GUIDING LIGHTS
“I am really pleased to have the Hub
available for use to support the
'more than food' initiative. Next
month we start the Family Healthy
eating Course helping parents &
children to learn to cook together” -
Sarah Fraser, Foodbank Mgr Lighthouse Weston
Fantastic Fashion Show
After months of planning the annual
Lighthouse fashion show was a roaring
success raising over £800 for the charity.
Largely due to the efforts of incoming
Trustee Abbi King, ticket sales easily
exceeded our target and together with
fellow trustee Denys Rayner and our
dapper-looking Locking Castle Church
host, Tom Yacomeni, the evening went
off without a hitch. Thanks to all who
came along and all those who helped.
ISSUE #1 NOVEMBER 2015
Lighthouse runs English classes for people
for whom English is their second
language and who want to improve their
conversational skills.
STRENGTHENING
Lighthouse works in partnership with a
local treatment center Western
Counselling to help people in the latter
stages of recovery from addiction.
Working alongside volunteers on
practical action projects in the
community, volunteers learn new skills
and gain confidence as they rebuild their
lives and prepare to return to work.
TRAINING
This project provides for small groups of
married couples to engage with one
another using inspiring and thought
provoking materials which help their
relationships to grow. Resources from
MarriedPeople, an organization from
Georgia USA—4 Core Habits of a Great
Marriage—has led to positive feedback,
so much so that two other churches have
started off down the same path with
another due to start this month.
STRENGTHENING
The Lighthouse community choir brings
together a group of people of all ages
who meet to sing, have fun and raise
much needed funds.
The choir is gearing up for its busiest
period of the year as we close in on the
Christmas season. Don’t miss their
upcoming events to get you in the festive
spirit.
STRENGTHENING
Lighthouse supports families by offering
courses on parenting and anger
management. In 2015 there have been 7
“Time out for Parents” courses & 4 “Let’s
stick together” sessions for the NHS
providing help and guidance to 87
parents, improving their parent skills and
confidence and nurturing relationships. A
list of 40 parents are waiting patiently for
the next tranche of courses to begin!
Julie Lanham is stepping down as project
coordinator for Parentwise to focus more
on Locking Castle Church. The trustees
would like to go on record in thanking
Julie for her excellent leadership over the
years in which the project has gone from
strength to strength.
STRENGTHENING Lighthouse runs a weekly basic skills class
for adult learners that includes award
winning digital photography, cookery,
literacy, numeracy and creative arts and
crafts.
Our award winning Lighthouse Garden
will now be featured in next year’s Love
Weston publication and will advertise for
visitors from April to September. All
produce from this year’s season went to
the Lighthouse Café. Students from the
University of Western England (UWE) also
worked very hard in February to help us
to lay a new patio area which is now
being enjoyed to the full by people in
recovery.
TRAINING
The Lighthouse at Weston is a company limited by guarantee No 7128063. Regis-tered Charity No. 1135584, Registered Address: c/o St Paul’s Church Office,
Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1EF
ISSUE #1 NOVEMBER 2015
Lighthouse provides free meals every
week for up to 50 people at King’s Table.
A committed team of volunteers cook
delicious hot food and provide a safe and
comfortable environment to relax and
chat with the street support team.
The Mayor of W-s-M Councellor
Raymond Armstrong will be joining our
Xmas Dinner on 10th December at St
Paul’s
SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN CRISIS
Look Hugh’s Com-ing to St Paul’s ...
Hugh Cornwell is one of the UK's
finest song writing talents and
accomplished live performers.
As the original guitarist, singer and
main songwriter in the British rock
band The Stranglers, he's enjoyed
massive success with 10 hit albums
and 21 Top Forty singles, with classic
songs including Peaches, No More
Heroes, Golden Brown, Nice N’
Sleazy, Always the Sun and Duchess.
The former Stranglers man will
perform in an unusual Weston setting
– St Paul’s Church – in support of his
new album The Rise And Fall Of Hugh
Cornwell.
While The Stranglers are still going
strong without Cornwell he is very
much a name in his own right these
days, having previously toured with
Blondie back in 2006.The acoustic
tour will feature songs new and old,
and the Weston date is expected to
sell out.
Tickets, priced £22, are available by
calling 08444 780898 with part of the
proceeds going to Lighthouse.
Click here or go to
www.thegigcartel.com and search for
Hugh Cornwell at Weston super Mare
December Events
● December 3rd—VIP opening of The
Hub (invitation only)
● December 4th-6th street art exhibi-
tion and open weekend at The Hub
● December 13th—Lighthouse & St
Paul’s Christmas Carols
● December 16th—Christmas Recital
(Community Choir) at St Paul’s
For more information see our website ...
www.lighthouse-weston.org.uk
A word from our sponsor
“with God all things
are possible”
Matthew
19:26
FUN-DING FACTS
● Zurich Insurance raised almost
£400 for Kings Table by selling
cakes and sweets to office
workers for Halloween
● On Saturday 5th December
McDonalds will donate £1 for
each car using the drive-thru
● Got a funding idea? Email our
fundraising manager,
The Hub A space for groups to meet in the heart of
Weston-super-Mare, convenient for the
railway and buses and with nearby parking
available at reasonable rates.
Training Room seats 30-50
Meeting Rooms seat 8
Creative media space for up to 25
people
Hot desks available to book
Email – [email protected]