GRASSBOOTS
Please drop off any donations/items to the Church Office
The following letter is from Geoff Dawson of Vineyard.
The Grassboots project came about during the first wave of the pandemic when we were delivering food parcels across Newcastle in some of the most deprived communities. It became apparent that some families were really struggling for a lot more than food and having to make some difficult choices. The vision is to provide new or nearly new condition shoes, football boots, trainers and school shoes to those who really need them the most. We especially want to encourage children to be able to participate in sport and outdoor activities without the cost barriers associated with expensive footwear. We partner with social workers, food banks, church groups and other support agencies in getting referrals for families and individuals who need our support. So in 2019 we started collecting shoes and setting up the project and in 2020 we gave out around 200 pairs of footwear items and supported over 150 groups, schools or families. We also provide some clothing and baby items where required.
I’ve attached some info on how people can help. The easiest way is to donate any new or nearly new shoes, football boots, school shoes, sports clothes or trainers that people may have lying about. The other challenge we are asking is for people to consider buying 1 pair of new shoes this year for someone else who needs them. At the moment we really need football boots and trainers in UK sizes 5-11 for older children and adults. You also find decent items in charity shops that maybe don’t cost as much but are in nearly new condition. People are also very welcome to donate financially or come and help volunteer on a Wednesday (from our base near Gosforth) as we clean sort and deliver the items. Everything we receive is cleaned, boxed, labelled and sent out with a message of encouragement. We are also partnering with a Christian charity in Nigeria in order to send out surplus football boots and sports equipment that will help them.
We have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/LVCGrassboots
