Organisation
Objectives
Comfort C.A.F.E. is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered by the Charity Commission. Our objectives are laid down in our Constitution:
- To help prevent and relieve poverty in the Blackpool Borough Council area by providing food, protective items, warm clothing, advice, information and support. We work with community members aged 18 and over who are living in poverty as a result of homelessness, are vulnerable due to their housing arrangements or are in financial hardship.
- We aim to help prevent members of our community from becoming socially excluded and to become more integrated into society.
Ethos
The charity operates within a Christian ethos which we interpret as follows:
- We will treat all members of our community and our volunteers equally, irrespective of their faith, gender, colour, or race
- We will treat everyone with dignity, respect, kindness, sincerity, integrity, understanding and in an empathetic manner
- We will give everyone time, listen to them and show them love and care
- We will offer spiritual aid if requested, but will not evangelise
Management
As a CIO we have a Board of Trustees responsible for setting the objectives of the charity and ensuring that it operates in accordance with the Constitution. Information about our Trustees is further down the page.
The Board aims to keep the running of the charity as informal as possible and encourages all volunteers to find a role that makes the best use of their skills. We do have a Catering Manager as food safety is our top priority.
Volunteers are encouraged to make suggestions and their input is regularly sought by the Trustees.
Although we are a small charity, there is more to keeping it running smoothly than meets the eye! The diagram below gives an idea of what is required.
Our Trustees
Secretary: Gwen Cross
Gwen trained as a nurse and has been involved with Comfort C.A.F.E. from the start, and with its predecessor, Comfort Zone, since 2009.
As secretary she is responsible for much of the admin, and is very involved in organising the sessions and the volunteers.
Gwen's passion for travelling, sometimes alone, sometimes as a sighted guide to visually impaired travellers, has taken her to countless places on most continents, butshe thinks her itchy feet have now called it a day.
Gwen's church life is vital to her, as are her family - two daughters and three grandchildren.
Treasurer: Brian Watson
Brian is a retired IT Consultant who has been living in the Fylde area since 1986. Originally from London, he has worked in both the public and private sectors.
He has been a Trustee of Comfort C.A.F.E. since it was registered as a charity and is also a Trustee of the 'not for profit' organisation n|compass - towards a brighter future. His interests include the history of the merchant navy, photography, gardening, foreign travel, caravanning and walking his dog.
Board Member: Sian Livesey
Sian's background is in health and wellbeing and works in the community as a Complementary Therapist. She has always made time for voluntary work and first started at Comfort Zone in 2010 where she joined the management team. She later joined Comfort C.A.F.E. as a Trustee and is also a Trustee of Still Waters Ministries.
Sian's Christian faith is part of her everyday life and she attends a local town centre Church and volunteers at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on the Chaplaincy team.
Sian's hobbies include gardening, nature and wildlife and going for long walks in the countryside.