A Christian charity created at the height of the flower power era, when drugs were becoming more recreational, is celebrating 50 years of helping people with drug and alcohol addiction. 

Kaleidoscope – called so because of the different groups who came, from mods to rockers and teddy boys to hippies – started in 1968 in a disco in a small church but now has 320 staff and supports 10,000 people.

At its beginning, Rev Eric Blakebrough opened a Friday Club in Kingston-Upon-Thames from 10pm-6am to provide a safe place for young people to go to once the pubs shut.  

Today, Rev Eric’s son Martin runs Kaleidoscope from Newport. 

Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, said in a statement: “Kaleidoscope is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when we put our faith into action and seek to help those in desperate need of help. I warmly commend its work. Over the decades it has been a lifeline for so many people whose lives have been blighted by addiction and who have found nowhere else to go. There they have found not blame or rejection, but welcome, support and compassion which have been among the tools they have needed to try and rebuild their lives.”

This video was made for their 40th anniversary in 2008. 

Martin Blakebrough, who runs it now, said: “Fifty years ago Kaleidoscope was a church response to drug and alcohol issues impacting on local communities….

Donna Robinson explained to Premier how she was looking out her window and couldn’t do nothing: “Yesterday, just sitting in the house, watching the weather outside and thinking about people, you know, not having a home to go to, how cold it must have been and thought ‘you know what would be nice would be if church and community centres opened up and let them in over night’.” 

She put a post on facebook, found the Cathedral’s facebook page and asked if the homeless could come in. They agreed and said they closed at 6:30pm but that if she could find people to help at  short notice they would happily have them overnight as well. 

“I said ‘I’m sure I can get a team together’ – less than 24 hours later we’ve got piles of quilts, blank, countless food, tea, coffee, clothes, people coming from all over the place.”

People from across the community have given up time and money to help: “There’s a pizza shop bringing pizzas down, there’s a barber coming down if anybody wants their haircut later on. Everybody’s just rallied round, it’s unreal – I can’t believe it.”

Amazed at the response of a simple facebook post, Donna said: “It’s escalated pretty much beyond control really! We’ve just got people coming left, right and centre wanting to help.”

Donna works at EE in Newcastle, who she says had been amazing in letting her take a ‘volunteer day’ to do the job. 

Bedding,…

Joining the likes of Christianity Explored and Life Explored, Discipleship Explored (DE) is a course which aims to open the Bible in groups or one-to-one scenarios to grow in love of the Lord Jesus.

DE is aimed at people wanting to grow as Christians and focuses on the book of Philippians with an accompanying video series with eight parts.

This is the second version of DE though, the first came out ten years ago.

Barry Cooper, the presenter of the DE videos, explained: “One of the most significant changes we’ve made is to incorporate interview footage and real life stories from around the world.”

He added: “Our focus is still on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, but we now see how that letter impacts believers internationally – including those who are being persecuted. Seeing the joy of these men and women is compelling, contagious, and often very moving.”

There will be eight films, directed by Stephen McCaskel, director of Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer, which were shot in Greece, Serbia, Jordan, Rwanda, India, Peru and the United States. 

They feature documentary-style interviews with people across the world whose lives have changed because of God’s love and their desire to live for him. 

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily…

She said in a statement: “Many self-reliant older people are at risk at the moment, particularly if they turn down their heating to save money after many days of very low temperatures followed by the current heavy snow.”

Bishop Karen told Premier: “I think it’s something people feel that they can budget for or reduce [saying] ‘we can make do with only heating one room’ or ‘I can make do with a blanket’,

“And I think particularly elderly and vulnerable people don’t realise a blanket may not be enough.”

Bishop Karen gave her advice for staying warm when money is tight: “You need to put the heating on, you need to keep warm, you need to heat up things like hot soup, eat hot food, drink hot drinks. Just stay in one room, heat that one room and if you have to sleep in that room, stay in that room but just keep warm.”

Karen Gorham has encouraged people to donate to local groups which help heat the homes of people who are struggling financially.

She added in her statement: “If you are over 50 and need help with heating your home, you can contact your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau. I’m also hoping to raise awareness among people who might know an older person in need – people like home helps, church visitors, family friends – that they can also refer people for help.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian…