PICA: Partners in Community Action

The Diocese of Newcastle contains some of the most socially deprived areas in the country, and through its network of parishes, the Church is at the heart of the community in every way. Therefore it is ideally placed to understand and serve the social needs of the region.

PICA - Partners in Community Action - is our way of working with faith communities, and since its inception nearly 20 years ago, PICA, together with CUF (Church Urban Fund) has helped local groups and parishes to develop social action projects across the diocese.

Local people work together to make a difference to the places where they live and work, and PICA offers practical help in the way of small grants and expertise from people skilled in findraising, preparing community audits and training volunteers.

The range of activities undertaken by the projects is wide and varied:

Kids clubs and youth projects
Redevelopment of churches to creat more community space
Help for asylum seekers
Health promotion projects and caring for senior citizens
Interfaith initiatives.

What we have achieved so far is thanks to donations and support, but PICA is a work in progress. Help us to continue this work by becoming a Partner in Community Action.

Our funds are dedicated for work amongst the community, and PICA is already in partnership with other grant-making trusts. It has kick-started many projects by providing seed-corn funding to help initiate projects within the diocese.Since its inception, PICA, working alongside CUF has made over 90 grants to projects within the community. Each of these grants have been matched, and more, by other trusts and government funding schemes, as well as by local fundraising.

Help the Church to help others in need:

Will you become a Partner In Community Action and help raise funds for work within the community? So far we’ve achieved much, but there’s still a lot more to do.

Together we can:

Meet real needs within the community
Help viable projects to get off the ground
Provide a support network for projects
Work in partnership with the community

The PICA challenge:

You can raise funds for the appeal by doing one or more of the following:

Donate part of your annual charitable giving
Hold a PICA fundraising event
Issue collection boxes
Organise special collections
As an individual supporter, become a volunteer at one of the projects or pledge a regular donation
Tax efficient giving: By simply completing a gift aid scheme form, income tax payers can increase the value of their donation.

What next?

Sign up as a Partner In Community Action by contacting: The Revd. Pamela Ingham, Diocese of Newcastle, Church House, St. John’s Terrace, North Shields, Tyne & Wear NE29 6. Email: p.ingham@newcastle.anglican.org or call 0191 2704147.

PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY ACTION, CHURCH WORKING ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY:

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!