Serve the City
What is Serve the City?
Serve the City mobilises volunteers to show kindness in practical ways to people in need. Serve the City partners with homeless shelters, refugee centers, orphanages, senior homes and other associations and invites volunteers to offer practical help and support. Serve the City projects are often simple - sports, music, arts and crafts, teaching English, painting, serving food, and cutting hair. We are matchmakers - the connection between the good intentions of people who could serve and a meaningful opportunity to do so. By simple acts of kindness God’s love for all is shared.
We know them by their needs … what if we know them by their name?
Serve the City – Derby
Serve the City is an international initiative through which groups of Christians demonstrate the love of God through simple acts of kindness.
Serve the City Derby held their second series of events on the weekend of 13 and 14 March 2010. During the weekend 4 projects took place.
A city centre litter pick, in partnership with the City Council, which prompted this response on the local newspaper website – ‘This is a brilliant idea BUT shouldn’t the Council be doing it? That’s what Council Tax is for. Well done though to the people doing it’.
In partnership with Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire and the Parenting Fund, 32 people (mostly children) went by coach to Elvaston castle to enjoy all sorts of fun activities.
Visiting an older people’s care home with singing by children from the local primary school.
In the evening 30 mums sat down to an outstanding evening meal, served by men and accompanied by life music after having a hand massage and portrait photo. These were all Mums who might not other wise get any pampering on Mother’s Day due to their circumstances and they were overwhelmed with gratitude. One mum wrote afterwards, ‘ To everyone that put on the Mother’s Day Dinner I would like to say a big Thank You. I had a wonderful evening and was really touched by the kindness of the church.’
This is one way of being involved in mission in the twenty first century – demonstrating the good news with no expectation of return or reward, just blessing those we meet, spreading joy, giving love and hope.
What have we done so far?
On 21 November, more than 50 people took part in Serve the City, the first time it has happened in England!
We formed partnerships with three local organisations: Derby City Council, Groundwork Derby and Derbyshire and Adullam Homes. We spent the morning cleaning some streets in the city centre, planting woodland flowers and meadow plants at Chaddesden Park, and then we all came together for a celebration lunch where we hosted tenants from Adullam Homes, which was very special for us and them.
Amongst those involved were children and adults from St. Peter’s city centre church and St. Mary’s Chaddesden, as well as a number of our friends, and also students from the university.
During the morning we made a small difference to our environment, to the lives of those we served, and to those of us who volunteered, it was very encouraging.
The feedback has been positive:
Rosalind Allen, Education and Youth Programme Coordinator, Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire
Thank you very much for Serve the City's fantastic work. The volunteers managed to plant all the plants and bulbs within the allocated time, helping to improve the biodiversity of the Chaddesden Park Nature Area. In total, 100 English bluebell bulbs, 50 wild daffodil bulbs and about 200 other wild flower meadow and woodland plants including primroses and cowslips, were planted. The plants were purchased with funding from BBC Breathing Places. I am really looking forward to seeing the site in spring, when hopefully we can see the difference the volunteers made.
It was fantastic for Groundwork to be able to work in partnership with Serve the City; having a band of enthusiastic volunteers helped the task to be completed quickly and efficiently. Sometimes it can be hard to engage people with this sort of event, so having the group organised in advance was very helpful, whilst still enabling other volunteers to join in.
I look forward to following the progress of the Serve the City venture in Derby, and hope Groundwork can help to provide or signpost relevant and appropriate tasks in the future.
Linda McGraw, Acting Project Manager, Adullam Homes
The planting of the bulbs was quite significant and created a great metaphor for what Serve the City is about. It is envisaged that all those who attended our first gathering will, like the bulbs, reach out and grow perennially to invite more friends and associates to create worthwhile commitment, friendship and support to all. The effort we made, the meal we shared, the friends we made, the ability to pass on goodwill and appreciation was wonderful and shared by all, we all had a great day and for this we are thankful.
Hazel Valarino, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer
Thank you so much for your support. I know how important it is for residents to have this additional support, together with staff. It is always comforting to know that we have the Church working alongside of us strengthening our Christianity.
Serve the City began small but well, we are grateful, and now we press on with dreams and plans for the future.
For more information about Serve the City Derby contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
To find out about Serve the City International go to: www.servethecity.com