As we continue to pray for Near Neighbours, please remember the work of the Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre in Birmingham, and in particular Jessica Foster’s work as Near Neighbours Co-ordinator for Birmingham. Pray also for The Feast, a Birmingham- based project which is supported by Near Neighbours, and is bringing together young Christians and Muslims to build friendship and to share with one another something of what their faith means to them.
Pray also for the East End Trades Guild, a project supported by Near Neighbours in eastern London which is bringing together shops and businesses run by people of diverse cultures and faiths, and for Guild Organiser Krissie Nicholson.
Some facts about the Trades Guild…
- Its 200 members employ 1200 people
- In total we have a turnover of £77 million
- Members put £17 million people’s pockets through wages last year, and £26 million of our supply chain supports other businesses in London
- Members pay £1.3 million in business rates, and £5 million in VAT and £2.3 million in National Insurance contributions, every year.
Of particular significance for Near Neighbours…
- We are the “face of the community” for international visitors and locals, serving 520,000 people per month. Our businesses know an average of 80 customers by name.
- We have intimate local knowledge – we guide people to resources and other businesses, supporting each other.
- Our relationships with local people help address social isolation and child safety, and our relationships with the police supports greater public safety and crime prevention.
- We offer a quality of service based on in-depth product knowledge, and we build a loyal customer following.