Council grant helps Baptist church remodel grounds – and leads to much improved road junction
Earl Shilton residents living near the LBC Earl Shilton have been invited to its third annual Free Community Barbecue, but this year they will notice a striking difference: the ability to see round corners!
LBC Earl Shilton sits at the three-way junction of Mill Lane, Chapel Street and Almey’s Lane, and the lie of the land is such that visibility here has been very poor. With the support of a grant from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s Parish Community Initiative Fund, this has all changed.
The church car park’s boundary wall – which stood 8 feet high at one end – and its topping of view-blocking shrubs have gone. The ground has been landscaped to further open up visibility and the new fence (yet to be installed), will be made of metal railings will not hinder the view. The result is a much-improved road junction and greater visibility of events on the church grounds.
One such event is The Mobile Community Pantry, which operates out of LBC Earl Shilton’s Community Hub every Tuesday and offers support to tackle the causes of why people are struggling, and accessible food to those in need.
Monty, the Project Manager of The Mobile Community Pantry, said, “We’ve been made really welcome by the church and the community. We are delighted that this work makes it much safer for our team and for the people making use of the pantry. Previously, accessing the site by trying to negotiate the on-street parking, twisty road and bad visibility, driving our Mobile Pantry around has been a bit challenging.”
Tony Wakefield is one of the leaders at LBC Earl Shilton, and also a Trustee of the Hinckley Area Foodbank, managing the branch which operates out of the church. He explained, “Jesus told us that we should show His love for everyone and He was especially concerned with social justice, such as feeding the hungry. Living the Gospel, not just speaking it, is at the heart of our identity as Christians and here at LBC Earl Shilton the Foodbank, Community Hub and Christians Against Poverty courses are just some expressions of that.
“With this work done we know that people can come and go from any of these events in increased safety, and people passing by can see what’s going on and come and join us – such as for our barbecue!”
The work is not quite complete: the fence is still to be installed and the newly-landscaped ground will soon be planted with wildlife-friendly plants, replacing the view-blocking shrubbery with low-growing but beautiful flowers which will help our struggling pollinators.
Phil Evans, the church treasurer said, “Although there’s a little still to do, the grounds are open and usable, so today – as we invite our neighbours to join us for fun, food and friendship, it’s a great opportunity to dedicate this new space to God and ask Him to be part of everything we do here. We also especially want to thank Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council for their financial support through the Parish Community Initiative Fund.”