Swindon Christian Community Projects (SCCP) have agreed to start a new project within Swindon which will be linked with Swindon Foodbank. Like Foodbank, the project will be focussed on showing God’s love to Swindon residents with practical help.

SCCP was set up in October 2005, by founding members Gateway Church Swindon, The Trussell Trust, Parish if New Town, St Johns Haydon Wick, Discovery Church Swindon. The group’s objective was to run projects which help people in need in Swindon and the surrounding area, thus demonstrating in practical ways the love of Jesus for everyone. Their first project was the set up of Swindon Foodbank, with support from The Trussell Trust in Salisbury.

SCCP Directors continue to be responsible for overseeing the running of Swindon Foodbank. However, now that Swindon Foodbank is established and running smoothly, the Directors have been looking at plans for a new Swindon based project, called Re-store.

Re-store is based around opening a charity shop. But, while there are plenty of charity shops in Swindon, Re-store has a far larger vision than selling donated items for profit. The shop will be a ‘new type of charity shop’, aiming to be a vehicle not only for raising money which can be used to fund other projects, but also offer meaningful work to supported volunteers, and provide a setting for sharing the abundant love of Jesus.

The shop would become an additional distribution centre for Swindon Foodbank. As part of the project, the shop would include a cafe, kept to standards of excellence, to provide a safe and uplifting environment for clients of Foodbank to be supported and nurtured. Supporters of Swindon Foodbank will also be able to donate food here.

Re-store will be set up once again with support from The Trussell Trust, the Salisbury based charity which developed the national Foodbank initiative. The Directors are currently in the planning phase, and have identified a possible premises. From here promotion of the project will begin in earnest to get support from Swindon churches. It is hoped that the project could be up an running by the end of 2010. 

Anyone wishing to be involved with the project can get in touch through the Swindon Foodbank Contact Form. 

Alternately, get in touch if you’d like to arrange a presentation on the Re-store project for your church.