Community Connections Events
Children in Distress, the children’s charity behind Kirkbymoorside’s popular charity shop, is inviting locals to drop in for a cuppa and a chat on the first Wednesday of each month.
The new Community Connections events will take place from September to November and aim to help the charity better understand local priorities and opportunities for collaborations and partnerships.
The informal drop-ins will run from 10am and 1pm on
- Wednesday 2 September
- Wednesday 7 October
- Wednesday 4 November
The charity plays an important role in the local North Yorkshire community, with many local people volunteering in the shop. Volunteering has helped give young people skills for employment and everyone, including retired volunteers, has built friendships and enjoyed the opportunity to give something back.
The charity is keen to listen to what’s important to members of its wider community. These views, suggestions and any themes that emerge will then be used to help inform ways that the charity can engage with the community in future. The door is open to what this engagement could look like and it will be shaped by the drop-in sessions. It might include linking up with other organisations, identifying further opportunities for volunteering or funding opportunities, amongst other ideas.
With roots stretching back to 1990, Children in Distress has significant expertise working with children, young people and communities in both Romania and the UK. The charity has recently supported local communities in Yorkshire to thrive by funding projects for the Romanian diaspora in Hull. The charity is now looking for other ways to make a positive impact for communities in Yorkshire, focusing initially on the community surrounding its Kirkbymoorside charity shop.
Tracy Russell, the Manager of the Kirkbymoorside shop said:
“I’ve worked in our Kirkbymoorside shop for the past four and a half years, but the shop has been part of the town for much longer than that. Over the years, we’ve got to know lots of local people and it’s lovely being part of the community.
We’d really like to hear from more people about Kirkbymoorside – what you like about the town, what you think it needs and what you’d like to see more of.
So, if you’re passing, come in for a chat. Whether you’re a regular customer or have never been in before, we’d love to meet you and hear what you think.”
