Church and community united in helping those in need in Paignton

Church and community leaders - helped by a small army of big-hearted volunteers - are united in offering those in need a helping hand in Paignton. Now they have appealed for help so they do can even more.

Paignton parish priest Father Neil Knox is leading from the front and a new 'pioneer priest'  has been appointed recently so more people can be reached and assisted.

One local project is the Paignton Community Larder or Food Bank and Community Supermarket which is coming up to a year since it first began and is helping people not just in Paignton but across Torbay. 

Father Knox says: "The thrust is to switch emphasis from ‘hand out’ to ‘hand up’ and it continues to gain traction as we seek to incorporate these lines of support with other charities and in terms of volunteer contribution hours is significant."

The church continues to work hard with The Haven in Paignton providing vital support for the homeless and lonely. 

Father Knox says: "We are down to two main trustees now and are in the middle of completing a stakeholder consultation exercise with guests, volunteers, agencies including council NHS etc and trustees to see how we best shape our offering going forward."

Father Knox has asked local film maker John Tompkins to produce a YouTube clip for The Haven.  He says: "It is  so they can communicate this more effectively as well as hopefully attract more trustees and sponsors as we are desperately short of funding. "!

Paignton pioneer priest Laura McAdam arrived late last year and is highly active in schools and charity work.  Father Knox says: "She is in the early stages of developing a Paignton Partnership for charities and stakeholders (like the council etc) in a similar vein to the Standing Tall initiative but with a focus on Paignton.

"Many if not most other ventures are listed as 'Torbay'  which invariably means Torquay and Paignton always appears to be treated as the second thought of poor sibling; we want to change that by taking ownership ourselves."

They have also issued an appeal for help for Coordin8 who run the adult special needs provision in Paignton.  The issue for them is that they now urgently need to find (buy or lease) new accommodation. 

They run Monday to Saturday each week and have pretty much been running it out of the parish hall since the council moved them out of Parkfield’s six years ago.

Father Knox says:" The parish hall is sadly now end-of-life and needs completely replacing so Coordin8 will need to leave by the end of July. "

He added: "This is a brilliant charity as you know and we have just had John produce a YouTube clip for them https://youtu.be/VjZqU7v9NOk or (On the front page of the website: https://coordin8.org/ And on the Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057049046105# ).

"Another aim of the clip is to help promote the amazing and invaluable work they do without which the large number of people who use the provision would no doubt be locked away at home with a goal of getting them a potential new home as well as some more business orientated sponsors, the current CIC team or all carers. "

A Co-ordin8 Stakeholders Afternoon Tea will be taking place on Friday March 7, from 1.30-3.00 pm at the Coverdale Hall, Paignton Parish Church, Church Path.

Father Knox said: "Co-ordin8 recently celebrated its 10th birthday and we hope that by bringing together family, friends and the community we can develop a plan for moving Co-ordin8 forward to meet the next 10 years.

"Our immediate need is a new home and volunteers to join a time limited team to help look at opportunities for a new venue and develop a plan of action in partnership with the Paignton Parish Church."