Transfer of the Southend Churches Community Support Befriending Project to St. Vincent de Paul’s

The Southend Churches Community Support (SCCS) Befriending Project

Despite the best efforts of Nina Stewart (Manager [for Love Southend] of the SCCS Befriending Project) to secure future funding for the Befriending Project, this has not proved possible.

To maintain the level of support to the clients, it has been agreed that the SCCS Befriending Project will be transferred to St. Vincent de Paul’s [SVP] (Southend) Inreach Project on 1st October 2023. We are grateful that Nina will be able to maintain her long-standing support for the Project’s clients under the auspices of SVP (Southend).

SCCS will be retained as a service category within Love Southend in the expectation that other initiatives will emerge under that ministry heading. This will enable Love Southend to be able to meet one of their charitable objectives: “The relief of those who by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial hardship, or other disadvantage are in need.”

• The distribution of SCCS assets, as agreed by the Love Southend Trustees and Servant Team and in discussion with Nina, will be as follows:
  All SCCS branded assets will remain with Love Southend;
• Unbranded assets will be passed to SVP to be used for the benefit of current and future clients of the Project;
• Remaining funds within Love Southend’s accounts allocated to SCCS for the support of the Befriending Project will be passed to SVP to be used for the current and future clients of the Project;
• The SCCS website and social media platforms will be managed by Love Southend. A post will be made referencing the transfer of the Befriending Project to SVP; and
• The SCCS van will be donated to the Southend Vineyard’s Storehouse Project which supports vulnerable and homeless members of the community in concert with the values of the Befriending Project.

Love Southend gratefully acknowledge all the hard work of Nina in setting up and running the Befriending Project almost single-handedly. She has also supported most of the clients, often at great personal cost. We thank God for her and have assured Nina of our continued prayer and support as she moves to SVP with the Project. We also thank SVP for being willing to secure the support of the clients within their programme.