With the rising cost of living in all of our minds, Kirkbymoorside Methodist Church in rural North Yorkshire is going the extra mile to help feed local people.

Building on the community fridge and food bank projects it set up during the pandemic, the church is now starting a weekly Thursday Community Luncheon Club.

Treasurer Stuart Brown said, ‘It will be run by volunteers, and funded initially by the award money. Initially, we are aiming to produce twenty nutritious meals once a week for the most needy, and a warm space to be at a time when heating costs are becoming quite frightening.

‘But once we’re up and running, we will be seeking help and donations from local organisations, individuals and businesses, and hoping to expand both the number of days we operate and the number of meals we can serve. We certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position where we were turning people away.’

It fits nicely with the church’s ethos, which is to actively support spiritual and social outreach in the picturesque market town and its neighbouring villages.

‘This is going to be very much a community project, not one which is limited to the church,’ said Stuart. ‘We have been a major part of Kirkbymoorside since the church was established in 1812, and we have a very strong relationship with many local organisations.

‘We will be looking to local charities to nominate potential beneficiaries – we already have good links to Ryedale Carers, who are based in the town, and Next Steps, which provides support for people experiencing mental health issues across the Ryedale area, and already uses our premises.

‘This is a lovely area, but the beauty of it sometimes hides the poverty and exclusion that exists here – there are a lot of lonely and disadvantaged people whom we want to help, and those pre-existing issues are only going to get worse as inflation rises.

‘We’re hoping that the impact will be significant, and will strengthen the growing bond of Churches Together and the local community.

‘This award money has given us the ability to get started just as the weather starts to get colder, and we’re really grateful to Methodist Insurance.’