THE Nelson Trust is doing even more to improve the lives of vulnerable women and their children in Swindon thanks to money raised by Ecclesiastical.

Attended by more than 500 people, a carol concert at Gloucester Cathedral organised by the specialist insurer in December, raised £5,000 for Ecclesiastical’s local charity partners - The Nelson Trust and the Gloucester Civic Trust. The funds raised through ticket sales and donations on the night of the concert were matched by Ecclesiastical.

And now the Nelson Trust Women’s Centre in Swindon is using its share to provide hot meals for the women it supports and their children at a twice weekly lunch club. The centre provides a women-only space where a wide range of support needs can be addressed in a safe and supportive environment.

Christina Line, Team Lead at The Nelson Trust Women’s Centre in Swindon, said: “For a lot of the women who use our centre, the lunch club is the only opportunity of a hot and healthy meal they have, so we’re delighted that this funding from Ecclesiastical will help us to not only maintain but also improve this vital service for a whole year.

“It will give us greater flexibility in the meals we serve and enable us to provide these vulnerable women and their children with heathier, tastier meals. Currently, we’re almost entirely reliant on ‘FairShares’; food we buy with a short date or that is surplus to requirements by the big supermarkets.

“The women we help really appreciate these lunch clubs as a chance to meet up with other women and build support a support network in a relaxed and friendly environment.”

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive for Ecclesiastical, said: “We’re proud to work in partnership with the Nelson Trust, providing them with vital funding to support both people recovering from addiction and vulnerable women and their families.

“As an ethical business, doing good for our local communities is especially important to us and is the driving force for our staff and our business.”

The drop-in lunch club runs every Tuesday and Thursday at Nelson Trust Women’s Centre in Swindon and serves meals to around 16 women, along with their children if they are using the crèche.

At the centre, every woman is offered a detailed individual assessment of their needs across nine “pathways”. These include accommodation; physical and mental health; drugs and alcohol; finance and benefits; family and relationships; domestic abuse; sex working; education and training; attitudes, thinking and behaviour. Each client has their own keyworker who works with them to develop a support plan to address their needs.