All Saints Centre Norwich NEWSLETTER

Back to Home Page Newsletter No. 53 – March/April 2008 CHAIRMAN’S LETTER Dear Friends 2008 has started well with a steady stream of people coming through our doors everyday of the week – may I remind you all that Sunday lunches are available and are very popular. The staff and volunteers continue to make good use of our much improved kitchen facilities and there are always freshly made tasty dishes for sale. The Trustees are grateful for the efforts of everyone. Visitors to the Centre are now feeling the benefit of our refurbished heating system. We are grateful to the Geoffrey Watling Charity and the Paul Bassham Charitable Trust for making donations to cover the cost of this work. Norwich Consolidated Charities have also provided funds to cover the cost of new crockery, the updating of our Friends leaflet, as well as the signs in the churchyard and increased storage space. Peter Threadkell, Chairman of Trustees _________________________________________________ FOOD FOR THOUGHT Two homeless young men without any money were given Food for Thought vouchers to use for two days recently. On the second day they wrote the following in the visitor’s book. “I was made to feel very welcome and had a drink and some food which was very tasty. To say thanks would be an understatement – it’s people like you who make the world a better place.” _________________________________________________ PEOPLE CHANGES! CHANGES! CHANGES! As you will see from her letter, right, we said “goodbye” to Jane on 29^th Feb. We have been fortunate to be able to absorb her two days into Karen’s work load, who will now be working five days a week with Thursday as her weekday day off. (A reminder that Lilias works four days and has Tuesday and Wednesdays off.) Karen writes “I have been assistant manager at ASC for 18 months which I am enjoying very much and I have made friends with so many people. Since my time here I have seen the Centre grow and hopefully this will continue. “I have been offered five days work now and will be taking on some of Jane’s jobs which I hope I can do as well as she did.” Karen Maidstone. _________________________________________________ OUR VOLUNTEERS WRITE My name is Heidi. I am a volunteer at ASC on Fridays. The people are very kind and friendly. It is a happy place to work – also the food is very nice. Gary writes: When I first came to ASC the kitchen was still being built. When it was opened I became more interested and volunteered. I have enjoyed my year here and although I recently had some time off I consider it to be a “good un”. I enjoy working with everyone and think I can confidently say, “I have learned the ways of cake”! This came as a request to me in the form of an order, which I found very amusing. It has been a learning curve and I look forward to this year, hopefully without exploding cakes. Gary makes a mean carrot cake. Back to Home Page

“Christ before me” He forever goes before us to prepare a place for us, He is on the road we tread wherever life is leading us, He has gone before. David Adams 2008 – A YEAR OF CONSOLIDATION _________________________________________________ PUBLICITY Katherine Gray, our Trustee responsible for the Centre’s publicity, would like to thank all those who put her in touch with Magazine Editors following her request in the last Newsletter. There was a most encouraging response. Most editors seem to have email addresses so they could contact her via our Contact page. She will then send a variety of publicity items for use as appropriate. Local magazines are an excellent way of spreading the word about the Centre and also about our Food for Thought scheme for people on the streets. Our glossy brochure has now been reprinted and we enclose one together with a small poster. Can you help us by placing some in your local church, shop or other public place, if so Katherine would be very happy to send you copies or you can pick up a bundle from the Centre. Thank you for your help. _________________________________________________ PLANS FOR 2008 AGM Saturday April 19^th at 2.30pm in the Centre. Do please come and see what’s been going on. Market Stall Haymarket Tuesday May 6^th all day Items for help and help always required. Open Day at Endways, Mendham Saturday June 28^th 10.30am – 2.00pm Please come and enjoy a rural garden, delicious food, stalls and good company. Market Stall Haymarket Tues. Nov. 4^th all day If you have any other ideas for fund raising please let Sue Rolfe know at the Centre. _________________________________________________ JANE’S LAST WORD “God never wastes an experience!” Those of you who have read the ASC “Book of Memories” will know that God brought me to ASC as I had worked here as a volunteer “in the beginning”, and God didn’t want to waste that experience! Some of you will have heard me say on more than one occasion “catering is not really – my thing”. My true vocation in life should have been to be a Blue Peter presenter when I could create something from other peoples’ rubbish and cast offs and say, “here’s one I made earlier!” I am leaving ASC to create the role of administrator for a small commercial electrical company, as they don’t have one! I will be taking on duties currently performed by one of the directors and shaping it to fit me! In my resignation letter I said, “Working at ASC has been a truly unique experience”, one I will not forget for many reasons. I have met and made friends with many wonderful people, staff, customers, volunteers and trustees! I have seen many changes during my nearly 3 years at the Centre - all for the good. I know the work of the Centre is very close to God’s heart for the city of Norwich, and I know it will continue to grow and flourish. I thank you all that I have been privileged to be part of ASC for a season. I leave you with the thought that “God never wastes an experience” and that “your dreams are there for the chasing”. Search your hearts for experiences that you can let God use and chase your dreams for you never know where they will lead you! Life is an adventure so – “Dance as if no-one is watching, Sing as if no-one is listening and live every day as if it were your last!” May God bless you all my dear friends and colleagues. Jane Cox _________________________________________________ OUR VOLUNTEERS’ PARTY “Find someone who has driven a tank” – this was one of thirty ice-breaking tasks, which got us all talking to everyone else. The occasion? – a social evening at All Saints Centre hosted by the staff and trustees as a thank you to the volunteers. Red cloths and roses transformed the tables and the warm glow of candlelight added to the attraction. Some thirty volunteers enjoyed a sit down supper with delicious food followed by a hilarious game of “passing the parcel”! A good time was had by all and it also provided an opportunity to meet helpers from other days. On behalf of the volunteers I should like to say a big thank you to everyone who contributed to providing such an enjoyable and entertaining evening. Gill Scott