Norwich Christian Centre opens its doors
 By Keith Morris
A new Norwich Christian Resource Centre opened its doors on Saturday October 4, at St Michael-at-Plea Church, Redwell Street, in the city, site of the former SPCK bookshop, after a successful rescue plan has come to fruition.
The directors, led by former SPCK bookshop manager Steve Foyster, have negotiated a lease with the landlords, Norwich Historic Churches Trust, who are said to be delighted to have the building used for the local community once more.
NCRC has been registered as a non profit-making Community Interest Company with five directors: Steve (who will also manage the centre), Clive Bolton (St Paul's Hellesdon), John Gill (Oak Grove), Ian Walters (Braydeston) and Ray Wharton (Bergh Apton).
Virtually all the ex-shop and cafe staff who were sacked by St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust (SSGCT) when the shop closed in May, will return to work at the same venue they helped create in 2004, when it traded as SPCK Norwich Resource Centre.
Lynton Johnson, Nigel Waller and Sue Thompson will serve in the Forget-me-Not Cafe, with Jim Channell, Roger Triffitt, Gill Prior and Ann Walters behind the shop counter.
 Steve, who managed the SPCK Centre until June 2007, when he left to set up a new online Christian bookshop, will manage the new centre. He has stayed in constant touch with suppliers and many ex-customers of the centre, who have all been amazingly supportive of the new project, he said.
"I am delighted to be able to return to manage once again what had almost become a second home for me," he said. We wanted to give a well loved and frequented resource back to the communities of Norwich and Norfolk."
"Over the past months, an immense amount of prayer and goodwill has been given to the revitalisation of a totally ecumenical Christian resource centre, that had become a meeting place; a platform for stimulating discussion and debate; a peaceful and welcoming refuge for refreshment, open to visitors of faith or none. We thank God that we are now so close to bearing fruit," said Steve.
Following a recent appeal on the Network Norwich website the new team were delighted to receive donations of over £750, plus a free fax and computer with inkjet cartridges.
"The amount of goodwill and prayer has been sometimes overwhelming," said Steve. "The money raised will be used towards new cafe equipment and a full computer/till network as these items had been removed by the previous occupier.
The centre will have extended opening hours to 8.30am to 6pm (the cafe closing at 4.45pm).
They also have other plans and hopes including revitalising the garden space, more events, inter-faith events and a non-alcoholic juice bar for teenagers.
The new company would still be pleased to receive further donations via norwichcrc@btconnect.com. Anyone wishing to be on the events mailing list can also contact Steve at this email address. The telephone number for the bookshop is 01603 619731 and for the cafe 01603 619772. More details can be found at its new website, www.norwichchristian.co.uk, part of the Network Norwich family.
Pictured above, Steve Foyster opens the gates at the new Norwich Christian Resource Centre with some of the new team. | 