Bromley Borough Foodbank
The Bromley Borough Foodbank is open at the United Reformed Church (URC) in Widmore Road (next to Boots). Those in need will be able access food any weekday at one or other centre. It is open on Tuesdays (10am–2pm) and Thursdays (12–4pm).
The Orpington branch is currently in temporary premises at The Temple URC, High Street, St Mary Cray. The Orpington branch is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.00am–2.00pm.
Foodbank vouchers, obtainable from local authority departments, GPs, CABs, etc. can be used at either venue.
The Bromley branch has received over one tonne of donations from local churches and a special collection at Sainsbury’s in Lee Green. More donations are usually received from local churches and schools featuring Foodbank in their Harvest Thanksgiving services. Donations of non-perishable goods (food and toiletries) are welcome during opening hours or by special arrangement.
All enquiries regarding donations or volunteering opportunities should be made by calling 07774 526562. Find out more about the Bromley Borough Foodbank via its website, including a list of foodbank locations across Bromley.
Bromley Homeless Shelter
The Bromley Homeless Shelter was established by a number of Christian churches in Bromley, including St Joseph’s Church. It started by providing a cooked evening meal, safe warm overnight accommodation and breakfast, each winter from November to March for up to 12 homeless people (guests) in the borough of Bromley.
More recently, an advice and re-housing centre for homeless people has been established, based in the URC offices in Widmore Road and operating five days a week throughout the year. The scope of the advice centre now extends to neighbouring boroughs and to other areas of social deprivation in addition to homelessness in Bromley.
In 2021 The Bromley Homeless Shelter merged with LATCH to form Bromley Homeless, with the same objectives as the two previously separate organisations.
All this would not be possible without the time given by 150 volunteers, and money donated by many Bromley residents and organisations.
Each winter, new volunteers are always required to replace those who move away or are unable to continue. If you would like to help in any way please see the web site www.bromleyhomeless.org or email info@bromleyhomeless.org.
CAREPLUS
This is a united churches group supporting the vulnerable, for example through shopping support and visits to the elderly.
Contact: To find out how you can help, or to ask for help, please call Miranda Suit on 07930 955398
Centre for Catholic Formation
For over 40 years, the Centre for Catholic Formation has held talks, courses and events to serve the ongoing formation of the lay people in the Archdiocese of Southwark. The CCF is responsible for assisting parishes in the work of adult formation, the training of catechists and helping to spread the good news of Jesus Christ (evangelisation) across South London and the county of Kent.
The Office for the Ongoing Formation of Priests works closely with the CCF to both nourish the faith life of priests and help them in their task to guide the people in their pastoral care. A vitally important part of this work is raising awareness of disability.
Christians Against Poverty
The Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Bromley Partnership was established in 2017 and was initially funded by five Bromley churches, one of these being St Joseph’s. These churches have chosen to work together to set up and operate the Bromley CAP Debt Centre, which is one of 300 CAP debt centres in the UK. The aim of the centre is to enable individuals who find themselves in serious financial difficulties to manage their way out of debt, and have the opportunity to explore a life transforming faith in Jesus Christ.
The centre started operating in April 2017 and has built up a long list of clients who have become debt-free or are following a CAP plan designed to enable them to pay off their debts in a managed way without becoming homeless or unnecessarily penalised. The centre can only take on one new client a week, so many more are waiting to be helped, showing that the centre is meeting a real need in the work that it does. The centre continues to look for more volunteers who can keep a friendly eye on individuals and their families to ensure they keep to an agreed debt recovery plan. These volunteers need to be
members of Christian churches, have good interpersonal skills, be able to maintain confidentiality, care about people, be able to share their faith, and where necessary undergo an enhanced DBS check.
If you would like to volunteer for the Debt Centre, please contact the manager, Martin Pointing, by email to martinpointing@capuk.org . Or please consider making a one-off or regular donation to offset the running costs of the centre; again please contact Martin to arrange this.
HOPE INTO ACTIOn BROMLEY
Hope into Action Bromley – a collection of churches drawn together by Transform Bromley Borough – works with Hope Into Action UK with the aim of seeing individuals, trapped in relational poverty and homelessness, proactively supported by the local church through the provision of a home and a support network.
THE PASSAGE
The Passage runs London’s largest voluntary sector resource centre for homeless and vulnerable people. Each day, it helps up to 200 men and women. It has an eight-strong team of Outreach Workers, a 40-bed hostel and 16 self-contained studio flats in Montfort House or email. You can donate to The Passage here.
Contact: 020 7592 1850 or email info@passage.org.uk.
Pax Christi
Pax Christi International is a global Catholic peace movement and network that works to help establish peace, respect for human rights, justice and reconciliation in areas of the world that are torn by conflict. It is grounded in the belief that peace is possible and that vicious cycles of violence and injustice can be broken.
Pax Christi works for:
- Peace – based on justice. A world where human rights are respected, basic needs are met and people feel safe and valued in their communities.
- Reconciliation – a process that begins when people try to mend relationships between individuals or whole countries after times of violence or dispute.
- Nonviolence – a way of living and making choices that respects others and offers alternatives to violence and war.
Please support the work by volunteering and/or making a donation to Pax Christi. Without income their work cannot continue.
If you wish to help please contact the Parish Office on bromley@rcaos.org.uk, or visit the International and UK websites at www.paxchristi.net or www.paxchristi.org.uk.