2012
Welcome to the Spring Newsletter from St George’s Crypt.
Contents
The Olympics may be taking place mainly in London but most
of us are likely to get caught up in the sheer sense of spectacle
as the world turns it’s attention on our nation this summer. The
Olympics are principally about the coming together of the nations
of the world to take part in a wide range of challenges.
Front Page
Welcome
Lenten Appeal
Page 2
Updates
Client Story
Republic and Unilever
In the New Testament there are several references to running a
race - all of which throw different spiritual insights on to how we
live our lives and the priorities we embrace. One of these items
has been adopted by The Crypt - not only because it fits in with
the Olympic spirit, but because it reminds us how Christianity
makes a difference.
Page 3
Cafe Crypt
Nurture Food
Dates For Your Diary
The author of the magnificent letter to the Hebrews writes in
chapter 12:! (NIV)
Page 4
Chris Fields’s Message
Walk The Crypt Walk
“So let us run with perserverance the race
marked out for us”
For full articles and further
information please visit our web
site
www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk
Our race is to keep The Crypt on track. It is a devotion and a
commitment to caring deeply for the homeless and to sharing their
experience as part of what the Gospel means to the whole church.
Follow us on Twitter;
www.twitter.com “CryptLeeds”
This is not a race we run half-heartedly or with any degree
of detachment: in an Olympic spirit we run the race with
perseverance because we believe this is the path or challenge
marked out for us.
Find and like us on facebook.com
“St George’s Crypt, Leeds”
Lent is traditionally the time when we go with Jesus into the
wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights to comtemplate our mission
and our lives.
During Lent, quite simply, we ask you to consider the challenge
of running the race of life and faith with perserverance by helping
The Crypt: 1) By reflecting with us, 2) By praying for us and 3) By
donating generously to our 2012 Lent Appeal.
The recent cold snap has once again strained our resources and
we need your support. Every year our Lent appeal significantly
boosts our ability to help the homeless. Please help us to run the
race this year as best as we can!
St George’s Crypt, Great George Street, Leeds. LS1 3BR Tel:0113 2459061 Email [email protected]
Registered Charity No. 1144474 Registered Company No. 7780402
Updates
New Charity Number
We are now an Incorporated
Charity and we have a new
charity number (1144474)
and a company number
(7780402).
Busy, busy, busy...
Christmas day saw 40 people
come in to the service and
Boxing Day saw 120 people
tuck in to a Christmas dinner.
The last quarter has seen
8640 hot meals served with
approximately 360 emergency
food parcels being collected
by Social Services and other
agencies dealing with the
similar client group as ours.
28 people have successfully
moved in to their own
accommodation during this
time as well.
It has been a privilege to help
support so many people.
Dennis, a Crypt resident’s story – from horsebox to Crypt
bedroom.
Dennis was referred to us back
in December by a concerned
member of the public. She
reported to us that there was
a man living in a container
which was being used to stable
horses.
Dennis grew up in Morley and
worked as a plumber. After
a relationship breakdown he
moved out and ended up living
with the horses.
For 4 years a woman who lived
near used to bring him food and
drink, Dennis said it was hard
in the winter. A shower and
a change of clothes were the
first of Dennis’ needs we could
meet.
Dennis’s mobility is not good and he gets help from the staff and
residents when he moves round on his Zimmer Frame. We do
have concerns in regards to Dennis and his health, he has been
checked over by the doctors. The other residents some who face
many difficulties themselves are really looking out for Dennis.
The staff are also caring for and supporting him by regular check
ups, cleaning his room, and bedding, washing his clothes, working
with Social Services and Housing Options to ensure that Dennis
is found the most appropriate accommodation for his needs.
Dennis says that he is happy here and really appreciates what St
George’s Crypt is doing for him.
Republic and Unilever
High Street store Republic donated 360 brand new fashionable men’s winter wool coats.
International company Unilever donated hundreds spray and rollon deodorants.
With such a high quantity of
quality products we were able
to share our good fortune with
other charities who work with
vulnerable people, such as
Simon on the Street, Emmaus,
Leeds Women’s Aid, Caring for
Life, Teen Challenge etc.
Service-users, male and
female, have never smelt so good and looked so smart !
Café Crypt
Gaucho Restaurant on Park Row in Leeds
hosted a festive lunch with a difference. Guests
included 65 service users from St George's
Crypt, sports personalities Ray Illingworth,
Dickie Bird and Eddie Gray, ITV Calendar
News' Christine Talbot, JoJo from Capital
Radio, the Lord Mayor of Leeds and prominent
Leeds
business
people.
As well as a
four course
lunch that
featured
smoked
salmon and
sirloin steak
guests also
enjoyed entertainment from stand-up comedian
Billy Bean and singer Hannah Green. Gaucho’s
generously donated the glamorous venue, all
the food and drink for the event and restaurant
staff worked for free. Manager Mark Morris said
'It's great to see communities coming together
to make events like this happen.'
Nurture Food
The catering side of Nurture is going very well with preparation
of hot and cold buffets for outside organisations such as Blacks
Solicitors, Ripon & Leeds Diocese and Bishop’s House amongst
others.
Nurture food enables clients to undertake voluntary work in a
catering environment providing them with self-confidence and
a step into employment. We work closely with HMP Leeds and
HMP Askham Grange in York.
The Cafe at Oxford Place Methodist Church is gaining
momentum all the time and serving some great tasting lunches..
Dates for your
diary
21st April - Band of the
Yorkshire Volunteers will be
returning to St George’s
Church for a fundraising
concert. Tickets are
available now - £7 each
( £5 concessions)
3rd June - Emmerdale/
Crypt 7-a-Side Football
Tournament at Garforth
Town FC. Spectator Tickets
available now, £5 (adults)
£12 (family)
9th June - Squire Sanders
are hosting a Diamond
Ball at Harewood House.
For further details please
contact Carole
0113 284 7246
8th July - Run For All
Leeds 10K. More runners
needed to join our charity
team enter directly with us.
Entry fee £26
Message from Chris Fields CEO.
Christmas and the New Year was a very busy time for all our
services, offering extra bed spaces, meals by the hundreds and
generally opening the doors to everyone needing food, warmth,
shelter and companionship. All through that we had many happy
moments.
As we look forward to the year ahead and especially the next
milestone in the Christian calendar, Lent is a time for reflection
and contemplation. Many people give something up for Lent.
However, being human and easily tempted I have to look at it
differently; I take something up rather than give something up.
I like a challenge; I think that’s why I and everyone else here were called to the Crypt. For this
years challenge I am going back to my days as Akela! Scouting and all the sections within its wide
embrace has a great lesson to teach everyone. That is to do a good turn every day and tell no one
but God (who knows anyway).
I quite like the idea of keeping a secret because all my family knows I am really bad at it! So
there’s the challenge! I am not looking at it as a secret per say but a covenant with God in trying to
help someone in some way….everyday.
How blessed we are as a charity knowing that even on our worst days God is helping us secretly
and quietly without telling anyone. Blessing us with food, donations of bedding, clothing, finances
and most of all strangers. Back to Scouting terms again ”strangers are only friends we have not
met yet”…may your Lent be filled with secret good turns both given and received.
With all blessings,
Chris
Walk The Crypt Walk
Many of you have supported us for a generous amount of time but have, potentially, never even
seen the people or building in which we carry out our essential work. So I wanted to introduce this
new feature, a pictoral guide through some of the people and our home here at The Crypt.
It is so important that the Crypt is light and airy rather than
dark and spooky as some people expect a crypt to be.
Daz (seen left) welcomes guests at the door and shows
people where to go.
Reception (seen right)
is always a busy place
and is mainly looked
after by Sheila and her
team. They deal with
all the signing in of clients and residents and the whole place
has the feel of a boutique hotel ,with people asking for keys,
phones ringing and deliveries of food and clothing coming in
at all times of the day. As a visitor or a potential resident, in
need of help will find, our friendly welcome is always a good
start.