• Since North Somerset Council decided to set up ‘villages’ on the edge of Weston Super Mare the local faith community has, between them set up community projects in these villages.  This has been without competition, with agreement as to where each faith group would proceed, with the agreement of the developers.

Who we are.

• We are a team of folk from the local Methodist Circuit and other local faith groups, who have experience in community and social projects.   As Deacon Gary Hoare has now moved on (August  2023) Nicky Pybus, Pioneer Minister from St Andrews, will take on some of the role he undertoook in providing input from the local Methodist Circuit.

What we will do

• We hope to provide a welcome to our new residents and help to make them feel at home in, what for many, will be a completely new environment. The first residents are moving in and there is little to see with much of the first phase of the development still to be built. This is why it is so important that we are on site to provide a welcome face and a helping hand to allow them to settle in and feel at home as quickly as possible
• To have the facility of the temporary portacabin will allow us to have a base from which we can operate and serve our new neighbours and where we can look out for one another. It will also allow us to encourage the building of a community spirit and residents association with the help of the officers in North Somerset Council who are backing our initiative.

How we will do it

• It is anticipated that our team will provide: welcome packs and encourage and support the development of such activities, as 
• a toddler group, 
• family Christmas parties, 
• provide a Christmas Tree at the temporary site for some carol singing etc., 
• quiz nights, fairs and fun days, 
• a community café 
• and sports activities. 
• Because everyone will be new to the area in some ways it makes it easier to form a new community. 
  
• We hope to support the residents to take ownership of these activities and help in the campaigns for such things as 
• bus services, 
• healthcare facilities, 
• shops 
• and issues with construction site health and safety concerns. 
• In this we can draw on the experiences in the neighbouring village teams to help us.  
• As a Christian group we would hope to set up an occasional ‘pop up’ church which could operate once a month and maybe involve neighbours in some Christmas carol singing around the development, for example.

Funding  

• Any money raised at local events will go back into supporting the running of facilities for the local community.

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