1 + 1 = 1,500

First 1. Rachel Orriss was wondering how she might be able to raise £250 so that the Family Centre could hire a coach to take some needy children to the seaside for the day in the summer. She emailed the Vineyard Centre to see if there was anything we could do as a church…….

Second 1. Sheila Kendrick works in the finance department at Greene King and every year the staff raise a whole hatful of money for local charities. Someone asked her if she knew of any worthy local causes, and she suggested that they contact the Vineyard Centre…..

These two came in at the same time, and the result was a staggering £1,500 for the Bury Family Centre, enabling them to have two coach trips to the seaside and pay for ice creams for all the children, as well as having various activities and special events laid on at the Family Centre in Bury St Edmunds. For children who might not otherwise have the chance to get to the seaside this summer, these trips will be a really welcome treat. And the ongoing support and workshops etc that the rest of the money will provide will be really valuable. A huge thank you goes to all the staff at Greene King, and to the company too, who doubled up what the staff had raised. In total, £16,000 was given out to a number of local charities, of which the Family Centre was just one, and the more eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted a report of this in the Bury Free Press on 1st June. You might also have seen an article recently in the Mercury and the East Anglian Daily Times highlighting the number of children living in deprivation in and around Bury St Edmunds. It’s great that when a report like this comes out we can see something positive being done in the community to help those in need. And it's great too to see how God really can make amazing things happen.