About us – how we help our community

The Need Project was established as a part of the caring ministry of King’s Baptist Church in Stotfold, but now works through a number of local churches in Central Bedfordshire.

We are dedicated to helping the community based on objectives taken from our founding constitution:

To relieve persons in central Bedfordshire and the surrounding area that are in poverty or financial hardship in such ways as the Trustees from time to time think fit, in particular, but not exclusively by:

• Providing food packages to support individuals and families who are experiencing food deprivation.
• Providing other items to meet immediate and essential needs, as resources allow.
• Developing other forms of support to meet immediate need and alleviate financial hardship.

To achieve these objectives The Need Project has the following:

Values

We are a Christian organisation motivated by Jesus’ teaching on poverty and injustice. We operate according to Christian principles of compassion, honesty, integrity, openness, kindness and care of all people, regardless of backgrounds or beliefs (or none). We are passionate about inclusion and being non-judgemental is central to what we do. We believe that everyone has the right to have food on their plate, dignity, skills, a chance to work and hope for the future.

Aims

The Trustees employ a number of strategies to assist The Need Project to alleviate poverty or financial hardship and meet its Objects by:

• Providing free food parcels, and when resources allow furniture and clothing, for adults and families experiencing financial crisis.
• By providing food and other essentials to families and individuals referred to the charity by recognised social work agencies, local authorities, community bodies, churches, charities or other organisations whose purpose includes the prevention or relief of poverty (‘referral agencies’).
• Developing effective relationships with local councils (County, unitary, parish and town), referral agencies, faith groups and community groups.
• Ensuring wide community participation in the charity’s projects through giving, and raising awareness.
• Developing a culture of lifelong learning throughout the organisation in order to allow the trustees, core staff and volunteers to do their allotted jobs effectively.
• Building strong links with the local media, and regularly updating the charity’s website in order to stimulate public awareness of the charity’s work and the issues facing people in poverty and distress.
• Setting up social enterprises which add value to the charity’s existing projects by generating surpluses.
• Identifying, evaluating and incorporating best practice in project templates to ensure that projects become self-sustaining and are easy to replicate.
• Working closely with churches to help the Christian faith community to take a more active, practical and effective role in social action.
• Providing educational support to enable those referred to become more self sufficient where it is appropriate and resources allow.

Registered Charity Number 1157691.  The Need Project Central Bedfordshire