Oak Grove Community Church, Norwich

Kids Matter is a charity that partners with local organisations and churches, along with their community networks to run highly effective, evidence-informed and accessible parenting programmes in communities where parents and carers are facing disadvantages, and in prisons.

Acts 435 and Kids Matter have been seeking ways to encourage churches and charities who run Kids Matter programmes to also have Acts 435 in their tool kits to to provide holistic support to families as they meet with them.

Katie Greene, our Communications Director, spoke to Lynette who is the Families Worker at Oak Grove Community Church in Norwich, which has been able to do just that!

Lynette explained that the church has been running Kids Matter programmes for a number of years, and it helps them to support families in their community who often face disadvantages and additional challenges in life. She explained that their needs are partly around needing practical parenting advice and guidance but it was also about support, not just from those facilitating the course but also support from the peers in the group, as they help each other, which gives them a new found confidence.

Lynette went on to explain that; " Because we're with families consistently during a programme and you get to know the families quite intimately quite quickly, you come to know if they have specific struggles", and this is where having Acts 435 to hand is very helpful. Lynette said that she was "blessed that Acts 435 is there" in those situations where practical financial help was needed that she was able to say "we might be able to help with that". Also in being able to meet these practical needs, and support these families further, Lynette hopes that they'll see the love of Jesus through it.

Lynette told me three stories of families they have supported through a Kids Matter course, and also been able to help with their practical need through Acts 435. One young mum who attended the course was vulnerable and had fled domestic abuse. She had very little confidence in her parenting skills, but as well as coming to gain skills she also came for the community. Lynette said: "she gained more confidence, and managed to move to a more suitable property for her and her son". Her ex-partner had just been released from prison, and her new property needed curtains and blinds for privacy, and safety. Acts 435 donors were able to step in and help to provide these, and a fresh start, for this mum and son.

Another mum who was on the course was able to open up during one of the sessions about her broken tumble dryer. On the course they talk about the basics of looking after children, including practical things such as washing clothes. This mum then said she couldn't wash regularly as she was unable to dry the clothes in her flat, as she had nowhere to hang them all. She was so grateful that Acts 435 was able to support her to not only do the washing, but take care of her children's basic needs too.

Another vulnerable mum who Lynette got to know whilst she was on the course, and who has two small children, had suffered with trauma in her past. She was in desperate need of counselling, and had access to some free sessions, but she couldn't afford the childcare to access these sessions. The mum was so thankful, as the childcare bill came through to her 'fully paid' after Acts 435 donors supported her request for help. The counselling has also benefited the mum hugely, as well as the assurance that people care.

Lynette was very enthusiastic about the marriage of Kids Matter and Acts 435, and she said: "For us Kids Matter (and Babies Matter) is the best outreach tool we've ever done, and with it you're straight in with relationship building about the challenges and struggles, and being able to have an answer to both their parenting struggles as well as their practical struggles [with Acts 435] is such a blessing."

I finally asked Lynette what she would say to a church that facilitates Kids Matter courses about partnering with Acts 435, and she said:

"Don't hesitate, find somebody in the church who is willing to be your Acts 435 Advocate and sign up. It doesn't take long to request the help, and the applicants are thankful to tell their story but are happy that it is anonymous and then you're able to bless them."