Suffolk team offers cash boost to St Mary and St Botolph Church
19 January 2023
An Ipswich-based church has received a £1,000 donation to kick off the New Year, thanks to our Suffolk team.
St Mary and St Botolph Church in Ipswich received the donation as part of our Community Champions initiative. The funds will be used to purchase food, toiletries and other essentials at the church’s Top Up Shop, providing items to the community at a much lower cost than in shops.
St Mary and St Botolph is ancient village church which was extended and rebuilt during Victorian times. Based on the northern edge of the Suffolk town, the church serves the people of Whitton, Castle Hill, The Dales, Thurleston and Akenham. An open and inclusive place for all, St Mary and St Botolph is a key space for community activities in the area as well as a place for worship.
Revd Mary Sokanovic, Vicar at St Mary and St Botolph Church, said: “A big thank you to Persimmon Homes for supporting us throughout the festive period and into 2023 as we start the New Year. The funds will be used to purchase food, toiletries and fresh fruit and vegetables for our weekly Top Up Shop where customers pay £2 for a bag of food which they select for themselves. We are totally inclusive and do not impose any conditions on who can buy from the shop.
“It is clear that a growing number of families are finding it difficult to make ends meet. The shop opens for just one hour every Wednesday and currently approximately 50 families visit each week. As a church although our prime function is promoting the Christian faith we have a much wider social remit in helping the poor, our outreach work and developing social cohesion. Our Top Up Shop is key to this work.”
Lucy Woodhall, Sales Director at Suffolk, said: “Leaving a lasting positive legacy in and around our developments is at the heart of our values at Persimmon. It’s an honour to be able to offer this support to St Mary and St Botolph as we all start 2023 and we were delighted to bring some Christmas cheer last year through the turkey donation.
“We’re looking forward to seeing St Mary and St Botolph put the funds to good use and wish them all the best in the New Year!”
