Disability inclusion award for breaking down barriers in Ely
The Rich Tea Community, a local group for adults with additional needs that meets in the Countess Free Church in Ely – and its co-founder, Cate Allen – have been presented with the Luke 5 Award for disability inclusion from the Christian charity Through the Roof (www.throughtheroof.org).
Beyond the barriers: Freedom of religion is a right, but access to church is not always easy for adults with additional needs. Firstly, many people are dependent on others to bring them to church. Secondly, church services may create barriers to understanding and to feeling a sense of belonging – such as complex and figurative language, very few visuals to help with processing information, and sensory extremes from silence to loud music... All of these factors can be difficult for a person with additional needs.Friendship, faith and fun for all: Rich Tea Community (RTC) was founded to overcome these barriers and to create accessible church in Ely. RTC gathers once a month on a Sunday, 3.30–5pm, at Countess Free Church for friendship, faith and fun for adults with additional needs – plus volunteers, family, friends and carers. There is often an engaging short talk including sensory objects and visual aids.
People can sit and watch or take part in the activities. Sessions include:
social time, conversation, refreshments, craft, games, drama, music
sharing Bible passages; prayer and reflection; and (4 times a year) a simple communion meal.
The award was presented at RTC alongside parachute games, table tennis, craft and music. Margaret Human, co-founder of the community, gave the certificate to Cate Allen and flowers were presented by Sarah Best, an RTC member from Kings Lynn who discovered RTC through nominating her own church for a Luke 5 Award (see Sarah's story here).
"I feel part of the church and like I really belong": Margaret, who is from Ely and has additional needs herself, made the award nomination because she really enjoys RTC. She said:
“At Rich Tea, I lead prayers and do readings. I feel part of the church and like I really belong and am valued. We started the group to share about Jesus with people with learning disabilities and let them know God loves them and church is a welcoming place for them.”
Cate Allen, a newly qualified Baptist Minister and Roofbreaker church disability champion, said:“The need is huge, for reaching people who are often left out of church and society, yet have amazing gifts to offer. I believe a church without disabled people is an incomplete church. We have been running Rich Tea sessions for people in local care homes, as well as providing small-group faith-building sessions for current RTC members.”
How your community can get involved: Janet Eardley, Programme Manager at Through the Roof said: “Our Luke 5 Award celebrates the difference made when barriers are broken down and disabled people are welcomed and fully included in Christian life. It is named after the account in Luke’s Gospel about the four men who brought their paralysed friend to Jesus by lowering him through the roof.
This passage gives our charity its name, and also our ‘Roofbreaker Project’.”
Find out how to work together with disabled people as a Roofbreaker disability champion at: https://www.throughtheroof.org/roofbreakers/
Celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday 2024 and get a free resource for churches from: https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/disability-awareness-sunday/
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