Compassion and Community

This is the story of the ‘compassionate ministry’ that has taken off on Raffles, a depressed council estate in the north-west of England. From a children’s club run by two local mums, the work of the Living Well Trust has expanded to include a family centre offering education, health care and advice, a converted double-decker bus that provides mobile leisure facilities for disengaged youth city-wide, a school-based programme for pupils in danger of exclusion and a community church where people can discover God and worship him in a way that suits them. Undergirding it all is the message that in Christ everyone is loved, accepted and needed; a powerful truth that also inspires everyone who works for the Trust.

"This is not only a lovely read, it’s a story that makes me say: ‘Lord, you are wonderful!’"

Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle

"I’ve watched the work grow from its small beginnings. It is, in my opinion, a very fine example of how to impact socially deprived communities in the United Kingdom with the love of Christ."

Peter Maiden, International Director of Operation Mobilisation

Compassion & Community
Ordinary people with an extraordinary dream
By Illtyd Barrie Thomas