BACKGROUND, FROM THE CONCEPT
It all started in July 2015 when Kim Grantham, the inspiration behind what was to become the Saints Community Project and which then led to the establishment of a charity, namely the Saints (Brackley) Community Trust, organised a trial `Day at the Seaside’. This taster saw elderly, lonely and isolated people come together for a day of fun and companionship – there were fish and chips, an ice cream van, a Punch & Judy show, some “end of the pier” shows and competitions together with entertainment, hosted at Brackley Town Football Club.
A couple of months later, the first Wednesday coffee morning was held; that day there were just five attendees, however, numbers soon grew to over 100 on occasions and a regular weekly attendance of 80 or so.
The concept was simple: to open our doors to anyone who wished to attend, to help create friendships, laughter and fun and to build a strong and supportive community within a community. We wanted to empower those who felt lonely and had lost their confidence: offering a few hours each week where people can be in company in a safe and secure environment and build new friendships, build confidence thus adding lots of fun and laughter to our week. Life is for living.
Within a few months and with funding help from the National League Trust we were able to hold monthly event days with different themes, entertainment, home cooked meals, games and quizzes. These were incredibly popular and fun. We were also able to produce our own SCP Pantomime, written by a member, with everyone having a small part, be it acting, costumes or scenery.
Each week in between we held our coffee mornings and were able to offer a subsidised traditional home cooked lunch for those that wished to stay. We started many smaller projects to suit a range of interests from knitting clothes for new-born babies in Vietnam (traditionally called fish and chip babies as they were normally wrapped in newspaper) as well as smaller craft projects and taking part in local fundraising initiatives to help out local groups and organisations.
We invited many local people down to give talks on our town and their memories to help us bond. It boosted everyone’s self-confidence and gave us a purpose and focus and transformed into more than one morning a week. We were regularly supported by our local Community Policing team, and they worked very closely with us to protect and give us the tools to feel safe in our own homes.
Our number grew to between 80 and 90 each week with well over 100 for event days and stayed consistent at this until June 2019. It’s an absolute mix of people from all walks of life, different ages, different backgrounds and abilities. With Hugo attending in tummy and from 6 days old to Joan Taylor at 99, we all came together to make lasting friendships and enhance our lives.
We followed up with a real focus on our health and wellbeing and a positive attitude. As well as firmly established event days there were chair exercise sessions, talks in healthy eating and making simple changes as well as relaxation and anxiety meditation. It was often possible to combine these smaller events as part of our coffee mornings and to fundraise for local charities close to our hearts.
The project continued to grow, always with the invaluable support of the National League Trust, and flourished at its “home”, Brackley Town Football Club. However, in 2019, tragedy struck when the clubhouse was burned down.
The Saints Community Project went “on the road”, meeting at the Chequered Flag, at Egerton Hall, at Brackley Cricket Club and at St Peter’s Church, outgrowing each venue as, like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Kim attracted more and more regulars.
The project is, apart from some professional caterers, entirely staffed by volunteers. It is truly a community event, and there are currently no parallels within our town.
A second whammy hit with the arrival of Covid and the closure of meeting places coupled with a need to self-isolate: not a nice concept for those who are already isolated and in desperate need of companionship. Kim did not falter; in that period she drove 18,000 miles – never leaving Brackley – delivering meals, treats, games and puzzles to all the regulars, and others, including a lunch on Christmas Day to 76 local residents.
The lifting of quarantine coupled with the completion of a splendid new clubhouse – truly a phoenix risen from the ashes – enabled the project to return to its “home”, Brackley Town Football, where everybody is made most welcome.
At this point, the Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Saints (Brackley) Community Trust was set up by Janene Butters, Chief Executive Officer of Brackley Town Football Club, and Caryl Billingham MBE, a volunteer. The Charity Commission approved the application in August 2021, and the trustees swung into action.
Mindful that the charity would need to work in close co-operation with Brackley Town Football Club but equally mindful that the two entities needed to ensure total independence from one another, the first trustees were carefully selected both for their connections to the football club which recommended them (volunteer stewards, volunteer help with children’s football, voluntary help with administration) and their professional impartiality plus their backgrounds (in finance, IT, industry and the law).