Community Projects

 

COMMUNITY PROJECTS RUN BY OR SUPPORTED BY THE VALLEY CHURCH

 

 

Café Bridge is open Monday – Friday from 9-30 am to 2-30 pm. The aim of the Café is to provide a simple, tasty and healthy menu that is good value for money in a family-friendly environment where parents/carers can relax while their children play in the playroom. The Café Bridge staff also provide catering services for events in the rest of The Bridge building. Details can be obtained from the main office when booking rooms.

 

Provision for homeless/people in need

The Bridge Community Building provides washing and drying of clothes and shower facilities for those who are homeless or “staying with friends” because they have no home. Some of these people will be referred to us by other agencies in town and some come in having heard of us by word of mouth. Through the catering facilities in Café Bridge we can also provide a hot drink and snack.

Food Bank Distribution Point

In April 06 The Bridge Community Building became a distributor of food boxes for the Andover Food Bank and have given out many boxes since then. We provide this service on Mon, Wed and Fri from 10am to 2pm to help with staffing and organisation and to fit in with the proposed Food Centre opening times. We are in discussion with the Food Bank with a view to becoming a Food Centre with provision to provide drinks and talk to people, in addition to giving them the food box, and signpost them to other services that could support them. Click here to read a BBC news article regarding the “Hidden hunger”

Frontline Debt Advice, Andover

Originally started as Bridge That Gap, A debt and benefit advice service has their office and “drop in” service in The Bridge Community Building. This service has been affiliated with Frontline Debt Advice (UK) for a number of years. From 1st April 2013 Bridge That Gap is now Frontline Debt Advice, Andover. You don’t have to be in debt to drop in, the volunteers will be happy helping you avoid that with practical advice on budgeting and money management as well as benefit advice. Members of The Valley Church are also actively involved in the work of Frontline Debt Advice, Andover. Website

 

Counselling Service

The Bridge Counselling Service is open to any member of the public and is operated by a trained and accredited counsellor.  For more details please visit The Bridge Counselling web site.

Facilities for other Charities

We offer facilities in The Bridge Community Building to other Charities, including offices for Impact Network, Frontline Debt Advice Andover. Other Charities that have used the Bridge facilities for meetings or training include Groom Shaftsbury, Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Age Concern, Sanctuary Housing, Salisbury & District Mediation Service etc. We aim to expand this use of the facilities to other charitable organisations and some commercial users. The Bridge is also used by other churches in Andover, regular meetings are held by Petra House Church and Andover Vinyard Church.