Alpha Highlights
Explore life, faith & meaning.
Alpha is an opportunity to discuss the big questions of life and explore the Christian faith in a friendly, open and informal environment.
Since the beginning of lockdown in 2020 we have committed to running Alpha courses throughout the year and it has been a huge joy to see so many people attend and find out more about what it means to have a faith in Jesus. The majority of these courses have been held remotely via Zoom because of the COVID restrictions and it has been wonderful to see people attend online who otherwise would not have been able to come. The success of Zoom Alpha means that we will continue to hold at least one course a year remotely, so that people who are not able to come to the building will not have to miss out on doing the course.
In October 2021 we held our first face-to-face course back in the Hope Centre on Thursday evenings. We had up to 20 guests come each week to have a delicious hot meal followed by watching the Alpha films together and then plenty of time for group discussion. We absolutely loved doing this course and it was such a privilege to see friendships form. A particular highlight was the Holy Spirit Day where we gathered for a really special day of more discussion, plenty of pastries, worship and, for those who wanted it, time spent in prayer. Since that course, we held another Zoom course in January and we’re currently at the start of our very first Alpha café! Every Wednesday at 12 noon we are hosting a course at the Hope Centre for anyone who would like to do the course during the day, with cake and coffee.
Alpha is a fantastic course for anyone who is interested in meeting new people and finding out more about the Christian faith. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining a course either face-to-face or online, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our hope is that there will be a course to suit everyone!
You can join by heading here or emailing lizzie.bell@c3hope.church
Lizzie
Alpha Coordinator
Christmas Events!
Christmas is just around the corner and here at Hope Community Foundation we have so much in store!! 🎄
Saturday 11th December, 4-6PM, we’ll be hosting our second annual Santa Drive Through!
We'd love to invite you to pop by in your car (or walk through), join in for some Christmas bingo and get a picture with Santa who might even have a little gift for the kids!
On the following Sunday 12th December, we’re having a Family Service at 10am. We will be hearing songs from our Little Ark Nursery kids and hearing a Polar Express themed word from Louise Davies. At 3PM we then have a Movie Night, where we will all be watching 'The Polar Express' together. So bring your family and friends, grab you blankets and cinema snacks and join us for a fun evening!!
The Carols Express is happening Sunday 19th December, 4PM-6:30PM. We will be hosting Christmas stalls, you will be able to visit from Santa and enjoy a magical carols show from our incredible creative team. It's an event you don't want to miss!!
On Christmas Day, we'll be doing a Big Christmas Feed. They'll be more details on this to come so keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more information!!
Finally, on Sunday 26th December 10AM, we'll be having a Boxing Day Service. This will be online only so you can join us live on Facebook and YouTube from the comfort of your own home!!
Our heart for Christmas is to create a place full of joy and hope, that's why everything we have planned is completely FREE. We want to enable you to be invitational and for as many people to come as possible!
If you would love to be a part of making all these events happen then get in touch here or come down to The Hope Centre on Thursday evenings 7-9PM and join our creative team as they build, paint and decorate our building ready for Christmas!!
Foundation Cafe
The Foundation Café has officially opened!
A big thank you to all those who got involved in the Sarnie Army, a campaign which helped provide kids with packed lunches during non-term time. Because of people’s kindness and generosity, we’ve been able to refurbish Press Coffee into a hub for all ages and generations with free parking and Wi-Fi!
The Foundation Café is at the heart of all our projects, and is the perfect place to connect with our community and get involved in what we do. You'll get a glimpse at the work we do at our Community Grocery; you’ll meet our CAP Project leader every Wednesday, and when our Jigsaw Café and Polka Dots playgroup is on it will be a hub of activity!
The Café is open in the Hope Centre from 10am-2pm every weekday, with delicious brownie’s, hot drinks and more!
Julie is our wonderful Café Supervisor, and there’s plenty of other friendly staff who are there to help create a relaxing atmosphere for anyone who needs a space for concentration and socialising.
At the Foundation Café you can pay what you feel and enjoy an authentic Sheffield coffee shop experience while unwinding on our comfy sofas! We’ll also be installing a play area for the kiddies so you can enjoy a cuppa while also keeping an eye on your children!
Autumn News
This Autumn, we will once again be welcoming individuals and families within our local community into the Hope Centre as we re-launch three of our projects - Jigsaw, Polkadots and Connections Cafe.
Every Monday 10:30-12, during term-time, beginning on Monday 13th September, families with children aged 0-4 will be able to enjoy age-appropriate play, stories and songs and sensory and roleplay experiences aimed to encourage child development. Our safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environment will also provide the opportunity for parents and carers to build relationships and be part of our friendly support network.
Every Wednesday 2-3:30pm, beginning on the 15th September, Jigsaw will be offering a warm and friendly welcome for anyone aged 55 years and over, to participate in a variety of crafts, games and activities. This is not only an opportunity to try new skills or find new interests and hobbies but also to just relax and chat over a cup of tea or coffee, combatting isolation and loneliness with fun and friendship. A place for everyone to fit in!
Coming soon - our newly re-invented Connections Cafe! We are currently in the process of appointing a new Cafe Supervisor and putting the finishing touches to the cafe area at the Hope Centre to create an inviting and relaxing environment that can be enjoyed by everyone. The Connections Cafe will be central to the vision of Hope Community Foundation, creating a safe space where relationships are built, meaningful connections are formed and needs are met.
If you share our vision for people take a look at the volunteer opportunities by clicking here or contact us at info@hcfoundation.org.uk and we'll arrange to chat with you about how you can find our fit here at Hope Community Foundation.
Grand Opening happening Autumn 2021
Our Community Café will soon be back and better than ever!!
In what was previously our Press Coffee area, will be our newly refurbished Community Café. Our heart for the Community Café is that it will be a place to connect with community, build relationships and have a great coffee (of course!).
Being right at the heart of all our projects, our new café will be the perfect place to connect with the community, to bring your friends and to get involved in what we do.
Whilst enjoying a cup of freshly ground coffee, you’ll get a glimpse at the work we do at Our Foundation Community Grocery, you’ll meet our CAP Project leader every Wednesday and when our Jigsaw Café and Polka Dots playgroup the café will be a hub of activity!!
And did we mention we have free WiFi as well? So, bring your laptop and work alongside us, we can’t wait to have you join us for a cuppa!!
Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on when we will be open!
New opportunities to make a difference
This Autumn, we will be launching a new team of volunteers who will work directly with our community to help us to understand their needs and how we can either meet those needs or signpost them to the most appropriate local service.
Our aim is to invest time with those currently using our services and connect them with Church, Foundation and Community provision, and in doing so, supercharge our impact and support.
We hope to have more information about this exciting new opportunity very soon but if you’d like to be involved in this new initiative then click here to get in touch or email sabina.france@hopecity.foundation.
Sarnie Army on target to raise £7,000
This summer we have been working on a few different projects with The Message Trust, Sheffield Wednesday FC, Manor and Castle Development Trust and HAF program to provide lunches for children who would usually receive free school dinners.
To date we have made a whopping 2381 sandwiches and packed lunches and are on target to raise £7,000 towards the refurbishment of the Community Café.
Our team are working Monday-Thursday to make lunches for children who would usually be receiving free schools’ meals, by making up a lunch pack that includes all the essentials. This past academic year 28% of children who attend Nursery and Primary school education received free school meals, although it seemingly drops down to 21% in secondary schools across Yorkshire, that is still roughly 200 pupils in every secondary school that benefit each week from a free school meal.
After a tough year with COVID we can only imagine this number has and will increase therefore being able to partner with local charities and companies to provide lunches has been life changing. Being able to directly impact the local community has been such an amazing opportunity, for some of the children this has been their only nutritional meal in a day, so to be able to love on them and provide for the families has been incredible!!
It's been amazing to see individuals from all walks of life, all ages, come together every day, week in and week out to volunteer their time and skills. It’s taken an army to make it possible and we couldn’t be more thankful for every single person who has given their time to butter bread, pick up crates of water and so much more.
The money raised will be put towards the refurbishment of our Community Café, with hopes to re-open the Café in the Autumn of 2021, we’re working hard to make it the cosiest most-welcoming place for people to come and spend time together over a great cup of coffee.