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Welcome to Gweini - The Voice of the Christian Voluntary Sector in Wales
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Pioneering Newport Night Shelter |
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 "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not look after me. I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." These haunting words of Jesus are the organizing principle of the Newport Night Shelter: when Christians see people in need, they are commanded to act. Failure to help the "least of these" is failure to serve Christ.
It all started with another project: a bus outreach to the city's vulnerable, run by Teen Challenge Newport (http://www.teenchallengenewport.co.uk/). Volunteers for this coffee house on wheels saw another need: there was no emergency night shelter in the Newport area. Many of the homeless were forced to sleep exposed to the elements. In the winter months, this was not only uncomfortable but also dangerous. In 2009, a small group of volunteers resolved to address this problem. Despite having no previous experience of running a night shelter, they were motivated to act. As Stuart Johnson, one of the project's coordinators, explained: "It was not, 'Can we do this?' It was, 'We are doing this.' There was no doubt in our minds; God had given us the vision." |
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Swansea Churches "Adopt a Care Home Scheme" |
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 "What matters most to older people living in nursing homes is that they're cared about, not just in the practical, but in the spiritual and the emotional. The Church is well placed to do this work."
This is the goal of a Swansea churches scheme to befriend elderly people in care homes. Through Adopt a Care Home volunteers from local churches will visit residents and simply chat and listen to them over a cuppa. And churches have been teaming up with social services to reach the most lonely residents. Nick Andrews from Swansea council adult services added: "People in care homes often feel lonely and isolated. Adopt a Care Home is a local joint effort to help improve quality of life in care homes. It's about offering more emotional care and treating people with dignity and respect." |
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Read `Adopt a Care Home` in full
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Meet the Board and Council Members |
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Information about Gweini's national board and national council Members including Julian Richards, Elfed Godding, Dan Boucher, Jim Stewart, John Richards, John Evans, Jane Hanwel and Hywel Meredydd Davies... |
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Meet the team
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Engaging Churches and Local Authorities |
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In May this year, the Gweini National Board and Local Gweini leaders met to share their experiences of working with Local Authorities (LAs). Despite the cut-backs, the mood of the meeting was upbeat, and here are some of the conclusions - and ideas for taking action. The good news is that LAs are now generally more willing to work with churches than in the recent past: - 'Religion or belief' is now one of the equality targets, along with race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and age. This offers ways to be involved in local compacts, local health boards, and many other official bodies“ LAs are keen to be seen to respect diversity goals;
- LAs have less money to spend than in the past and are seeking out good partners wherever they can find them;
- LAs often understand that the churches are major actors in social provision (and the Faith in Wales report helps convince them of that);
- LAs often realise that they cannot hope to provide adequately for the social and spiritual needs of their clients“ at best they can cover the physical needs (see the Adopt a Care Home project in Swansea for just one example);
- LAs increasingly understand that churches are capable of delivering social services without proselytising.
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Cardiff Foodbank: Offering food and hope |
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 "Your food donation will make all the difference in the world to this family. It's the difference between having a decent nourishing meal instead of just making ends meet."
These words from a support worker helping a family in extreme circumstances show how important Cardiff Foodbank has become since it was set up. The mum who was helped has four children and had been surviving on just her income support and child benefit for only one child. Her claim for the other three children was held up in the system. "She couldn't believe that she did not have to pay," said the support worker. "She has bestowed a Thousand Blessings on you." |
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Gweini: the Council of the Christian Voluntary Sector in Wales is an umbrella body established in October 1999 and is governed by Evangelical Alliance Wales, Care, Tearfund, Prospects, Housing Justice and Cornerstone Church in Swansea. Gweini serves the Christian Voluntary Sector in Wales by representing the sector to all levels of government, networking locally and nationally and informing local churches about funding and best practice. |
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Founding Together Organisations Together Organisations |
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Have you wanted to learn more about CAP, and inform your church at the same time? Then maybe a CAP speaker is what you need.