The team consists of Martyn, Tina, Mike and myself, who are busy working away to produce our literature, displays, upkeep of the website and DVD's.

Through the summer months it was very busy, with the Great Yorkshire Show and Open Day displays back in June and July. It was also busy due to the production of films specifically to be used at the royal banquet. We’re now just completing two new films: an introduction to the work and a new-style update video for supporter groups that have been started in America.

We’ve been busy keeping the website up-to-date with news articles, daily prayer points and a couple of films, with another due to be posted in the next couple of weeks.

There has been a boost of excitement with new equipment being purchased, thanks to the hard work of Liz and Pam in the PR office and generous donations from Trusts, churches and individuals.

We are longing to see further expansion and are looking forward to seeing building work commence on the Adult Learning Centre, which we will overlook through our window.

There is one quick question, however, that I feel needs to be answered. Why? Why is the CMP office keeping itself busy, wanting to expand and purchase new equipment? Why do I think that this is worth doing? At first glance the answer is quite obvious.

Through the monthly production of bulletins, our supporters are kept informed of what we’re doing and what our current needs are. Displays have a positive effect on people who don’t know about us. The website is a great way of keeping in touch with daily and weekly news. Likewise, our films are extremely useful for introducing the work, and gaining much needed support, plus a great source of fun, (see the whistlestop tour video)!

You would be wrong if you thought the sole reason why we want to expand and improve things was to increase support and improve quality. This may be a benefit, but it is not the underlying reason why!

Our project has six very special people working on it: Michael, David, Gary, Peter, Danny and Matthew. Caring For Life supports all these people in one way or another. Three live in one of our residential homes, two are supported through our Floating Support Project and one comes to our CMP project a couple of days a week to work on DVD production.

This project is valuable to the Trust, but the opportunity to Share the Love of Jesus, and to instil a sense of responsibility, worth and pride is invaluable. To help someone develop new skills and see them overcoming obstacles such as a lack of confidence, seeing a beam come across someone’s face as they succeed, be it in copying a DVD, or posting a prayer point up on the website, is all incredibly exciting.

As with many projects at Caring For Life, we need to improve our facilities, but not just for the sake of improving them. The sense of importance that those we care for will feel when they hold, look after and use equipment is paramount. Our ethos throughout the entire Trust is not just to make do, but to be the best.

Our God knows how to provide for us and He is the Great provider. He gave us the greatest gift in the Lord Jesus, who is the answer to the problems that we see in this lost world. In that wonderful expression of God’s love, we see perfect love in Jesus.

In providing care we should be emulating Christ. We should not only be striving to emulate Christ’s compassion and love for the lost, but also provide the best facilities we can, so that God will be glorified. Our goal should also be that all who look at this Christian ministry will see something very special and wonderful, just as those in our care experience something very different.