A £4,000 Baptist Insurance Company grant has helped Arbury Road Baptist Church create warmer, more welcoming spaces for young teens, families and older residents through funding soft furnishings, new lighting, wall art and more.
Arbury Road Baptist Church sits on a busy road in north Cambridge, between Arbury and East Chesterton, two of the city's areas of highest need. While Cambridge is often associated with prosperity and opportunity, the church sees first-hand the inequality experienced by many local people.
The grant has enabled the church to improve its community spaces and strengthen outreach to people experiencing isolation, financial pressure and those in need of support.
Space 2BU - strengthening wellbeing
One of the projects benefiting from this support is Space 2BU, a Friday youth group for 11 to 16-year-olds. Around 10 to 15 young people regularly attend for hot chocolate and toast, crafts, games and time simply to relax and talk. The grant helped refresh the youth space with beanbags, cushions, LED lighting and provided paint for wall art, making it a more comfortable and inviting environment where young people can be themselves and look after their wellbeing.
Building connections across the community
The funding has also supported the church's wider programme of community activities. Wonderfully Made creative café brings people together each Thursday for food, friendship and creativity, helping to reduce loneliness and build a genuine sense of family. During the year, the group enjoyed trips, special seasonal activities and an exhibition of their crafts for the local community. Many participants also join the church for weekly prayer, including some who had not previously explored faith, two members of the group have taken the meaningful step of baptism, reflecting the sense of welcome and belonging they've found in the community.
Other activities, supported by the grant, include Wonder Wander, a gentle walking group that offers fresh air, exercise and companionship; Lunch Break, a monthly buffet lunch for up to 40 local people; and Coffee with Kindness, a supportive group for parents held in a local primary school. The church is also part of Cambridge's holiday school lunch provision, serving around 150 meals over the summer and offering families the chance to cook, craft and connect together.
“This grant has helped us turn practical improvements into real community connection. It has created more welcoming spaces where people can share food, friendship and creativity, and feel supported. We are very grateful to Baptist Insurance for making this possible.”
The impact has been significant. Arbury Road Baptist Church has become recognised by health and social care professionals as a safe, supportive place for people experiencing challenges or isolation. More people are being signposted to its groups by support workers, while families and older residents describe the activities as welcoming, generous and valuable.
“The work being done at Arbury Road Baptist Church is a heart-warming example of bringing people together at a time when they most need to find and feel God’s love.”