For the Community

Ask people on the street what they know the Salvation Army for and it'll almost certainly be their community work. Many don't even realise that The Salvation Army is a church, but only recognise the charity efforts of our movement. The Salvation Army in Gloucester continues to uphold the calling first heard by William Booth, to seek out and help those in our society who are in need, and first to provide for their physical needs, showing the love of God through care and provision.

We provide a cooked lunch on a weekly basis for up to 70 men and women in need, with assistance from Mike Curtis and other volunteers from Gloucester City Mission, a counseller from Gloucestershire Drug and Alcohol Service, and a nurse from the Vaughan Centre who provides for basic health needs. Throughout the week we provide help for those who need clothing, food and other necessities.

Each year, our Annual Appeal – consisting of door-to-door collections in September, and standing days at supermarkets and service stations throughout the year – raises substantial sums for helping those in need across the United Kingdom. Of course, we only carry the collecting boxes, and want to thank those in Gloucester who donate in excess of £10,000 each year in this way.

At Christmas, with the generous support of many donors, we are able to provide food hampers and gifts of toys for families in need who have been referred to us through Social Services or family centres. At Christmas 2008, over 50 hampers and toys for 150 children were distributed as a result of these efforts. Christmas 2010 saw a significant increase in need over previous years and 250 hampers and toys were prepared and distributed by our volunteers working with other social aid groups.

We also hold regular charity concerts, using the musical gifts given by God to raise awareness of, and funds for many local, national and international charities including: