Shildon’s St John’s Church has been named as one of just six finalists in a nationwide competition run by Ecclesiastical Insurance.
The competition sets out to recognise churches that have developed innovative ways to help their communities through engagement and support.
As a finalist, St John’s is guaranteed to win £2,000, and is in the running to win the grand prize of £10,000.
The winner of the grand prize will be announced at an awards ceremony at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London on 9th November.
St John’s has been short listed for the help it has provided in the community through its ‘Shildon Alive’ programme which has delivered a range of community projects in one of the county’s most deprived areas.
Activities have included Guerilla Gardening, which gives school children ownership of public space, community gardening and a foodbank where the food grown is distributed to those most in need.
The church has also established a credit union, taking on local loan sharks and working with schools to introduce savings clubs for children.
The judges chose the entry due to the huge impact it has had on the local community, supporting thousands in a very deprived area and instilling a sense of pride in people.
They felt that the extent to which the church works in partnership with its community is outstanding.
The competition was open to any Anglican church in the UK that has been involved in helping its community in the last year.
There were 372 entries in total from across the UK.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
