‘In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive."’ (Acts 20:35, NIV)
Independent Christian charity Betel UK has been working hard for 25 years to help the vulnerable, specifically, men, women and families affected by drug and alcohol addiction and homelessness. And there has certainly been much blessing along the way.
Tackling addiction and homelessness
Through its six centres around the UK and Ireland, Betel is helping over 400 recovering addicts get their lives back on track at any one time. There are many organisations working in this area, but Betel is particularly special in how it achieves truly astounding results in terms of both long-lasting recovery and bringing people to redeemed lives in relationship with Jesus. Even more amazingly, it does this with no fees for its residents, no public funds and very little by way of donations.
An innovative approach to funding
Instead, Betel has adopted an innovative social enterprise model which delivers two key benefits: it provides the residents with opportunities to discover and develop their skills, paving the way to future employment, and it earns Betel over £6m per year to support its work. Their social enterprises provide a range of services that work in synergy with each other, from house and garden clearance, to landscape gardening, furniture restoration and sales, and three Rising Café restaurants.
Celebrating 25 years of mission
Betel recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in their stunning new Anchor Point Centre in central Birmingham. This powerful beacon for God, which already has a special place in the heart of this great city’s community, was made possible by some of our Philanthropy clients, who have made a significant contribution to funding the first phase of its development. £3.5m is now being raised for a second phase. The celebration concluded with the hugely talented Betel theatre group giving a dramatic presentation, ‘The Call’, which poignantly articulates the stories of how each member has journeyed from addiction to recovery, encountering the transformational grace of God along the way.
These stories are a powerful witness to the miraculous healing of broken lives through faith in Jesus. They are also a rich reward for Betel’s creative God-centred mission, where social enterprise and philanthropic support are working together to create a significant impact for the Kingdom.
Find out more about Betel’s work in this Parliamentary Review article.
How can I help?
If you would like to support the second phase of development for Betel’s Anchor Point Centre, please contact our Philanthropy Services Team on 020 8418 8896 or [email protected].
Ruth Jackson
Ruth is leading the PR and Communications for Stewardship. She joined Stewardship in April 2022.
She has over 25 years’ marketing communications experience across a range of sectors, including higher education, technology and the arts, both business- and customer-facing.
Ruth worships at C3 Church in Cambridge, where she lives with her husband and two teenage daughters. When she’s not at her desk, you might find her rowing on the River Cam, in a ballet class or out for a walk.
She supports causes that are focused on alleviating global poverty and injustice, with a particular interest in supporting vulnerable children.
