<< Back

St Mary's
Bradford

St. Mary’s currently provides a focal point for four distinct but related and complementary services:

1. “The Welcome” at St. Mary’s:-  this is a drop-in service for homeless and isolated people – the weekly session includes lunch and an opportunity for socialising and guidance if required.  Frequented by about forty people with a range of problems, many mental health related.  Men and women attend.  Operates from the church hall and is hosted by the parish.  Entirely staffed by volunteers.
   
   
2. Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank:-   located in the disused school adjacent to St. Mary’s.  Collects and distributes food through a number of outlets and directly to families at need.  Currently seeking charitable status.
   
   
3. Assisi House – a homeless hostel for men.  Registered charity and well funded (SP) and professionally staffed.    Has an associated Outreach Centre called the Assisi Centre, which is located between Assisi House and St. Mary’s.
   
   
4. An informal asylum seeker/refugee venue for meetings.  This too occurs in the church hall.

All four services operate within a small geographical area coterminous with a designated REGEN 2000 Funding Programme from which some have already benefited substantially.

The complementary of services is self-evident.

Historically all but the Food Bank have their origin and roots in the Christian (indeed Catholic) community and continue to be largely managed by people from that community.

In recent years we have worked steadily at forging closer operational links, particularly between “The Welcome”, Catholic Care and Assisi House, using specifically the Assisi Centre as the lynch pin, in an effort to provide a continuum of services within the same host community.   Thereby we could obviate the need for users to break contact with that community when accessing another service and at the same time increase the range and quality of service already on offer.

Additionally, in very close proximity to St. Mary’s, Catholic Care operates a supported housing service for mentally ill people (Bank House), which also doubles up as HQ for Catholic Care’s mental health services.  Also, the Cathedral Centre operates an educational and employment service for people who are homeless and destitute or simply struggling.   This is also located nearby and many of the same client groups are common throughout.

St. Mary’s is now very time limited as a viable parish since the Diocesan Programme of rationalising its churches was published.  The future is uncertain.  However, the church itself is located in the heart of the city (the “Mother Church of Bradford” I understand) and ideally situated for addressing social problems associated with urban drift – dominated by a fluid population of people with mental health and alcohol and drug dependant behaviours.  Homelessness in its many forms is a constant accompanying feature.

<< Back