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Yarmouth SA Harry Woods and Ma
Award for Yarmouth church’s community work

Salvation Army leaders and volunteers in Great Yarmouth are to be honoured with an award for their work in the community during the pandemic.

The Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Adrian Thompson, will unveil a plaque at the town branch of the church and charity on Tolhouse Street on Thursday 14 April.
 
Captain Marie Burr, who leads The Salvation Army in Great Yarmouth, along with community manager Harry Woods and a team of volunteers supported people in the community in several different ways during the pandemic.
 
Marie said she was delighted with the award. She said: “We wondered why, as we were just doing what The Salvation Army does and looking after the community. We don’t do it for recognition but it’s always nice to know you’re appreciated.”
 
She explained: “We had a hot meal handout twice a week which was open to anybody, and we gave out 120 meals a week. We kept our food bank open giving out 150 food parcels weekly which fed around 450 people a week as they contained three meals a day. We also did a lot of driving delivering newsletters and DVDs of our meetings to church members. We delivered afternoon tea in a box to our volunteers to thank them as well as to our elderly church members and our food bank clients.
 
“I think the hardest thing was that people were lonely and couldn’t see anyone else. Being locked away on your own is tough so we wanted to keep as many routes of contact open as we could. We also set up telephone trees where half a dozen people would keep in touch with each other, and we phoned church members weekly as well.”
 
salvation army logoMarie, who has led Salvation Army churches for 12 years, said that the pandemic took everyone by surprise. Although the award honours The Salvation Army, Marie praised Great Yarmouth Borough Council, other charities, and members of the public.
 
She concluded: “We all worked together. The council would do deliveries for us, and we worked with the other three main food banks in the town too. The public were amazing and there was a constant stream of donations whenever we were open. Everyone pulled together to get through it.”

 
Visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk,

also the Salvation Army's twitter and facebook pages.

The picture above shows Harry Woods and Marie Burr preparing afternoon tea to be delivered to more than 30 volunteers, and is courtesy of The Salvation Army.


 

TonyRothe150Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in East Norfolk?  

If so, e-mail tony.rothe@networknorwich.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture. 

Tony Rothe, 11/04/2022

Tony Rothe
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