About Us
Our Passion
We believe that every individual is made by God, precious to him and loved by him. In the New Testament Jesus is recorded as commanding his followers to, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and, love your neighbour as yourself’. If we are to follow Jesus, we must love people, and loving them must be more than just a nice sentiment. Another part of the Bible states that, ‘faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’
It is our belief in the value of each person and our desire to follow Jesus that motivates us to serve those in our community who need our help. It is also this belief that places hospitality and welcome at the heart of The Olive Branch. Many of our guests have been treated badly by life and the world around them, and so we want to take time to show them they are valued; to sit with them, to listen to them and serve them.
Our team
The Olive Branch would be nothing without its volunteers, who not only established the charity, but keep it going every day.
The Olive Branch also has a small team of staff, and a board of trustees behind it who guide our team of volunteers and handle the daily running and planning of the organisation.
We welcome guests of all faiths and none. We are open and honest about our faith, which motivates what we do, but are not ‘pushy.’
If guests are interested, we will talk about faith in Jesus and may offer to pray with them, but we do not pressurise them.
Our Services
Please don’t feel any embarrassment about needing to use our services. Everyone needs help in some form at some point in their life. On arrival at The Olive Branch you should receive a warm welcome from one of our team and be shown to a seat. We will offer you a cup of tea/coffee and a piece of cake and take time to talk with you about your situation and how we can best help you.
While you do need a referral to receive a food parcel, please note that you can just drop in for our other services.
Our History
In November 2004, a group of volunteers from different churches came together to serve a weekly free meal to those who needed it. This was funded by charitable giving and supported by Lancaster Free Methodist Church (now renamed Hope Church). From November 2004 to March 2008 over 2,300 free meals were served to approximately 20 to 30 guests each week. It was a challenging time and, in many ways, a ‘baptism of fire’, but the foundational principles were laid: the importance of listening and prayer, building relationships, providing hospitality (for it is ‘more than a cup of tea’) and personal testimony of Jesus. Our aim was to serve with integrity and honour our guests, many of whom were struggling with the issues of addiction, homelessness, broken relationships and rejection and poor mental and physical health.
Recognising that much more was needed, The Olive Branch became a registered charity in September 2006. Charitable status enabled access to funding, enhanced our credibility and prepared for future growth.