A thriving missionary community is rapidly flourishing in the Lincolnshire region of Nottingham Diocese

^{Source: Diocese of Nottingham}

The seeds of Project St Thomas (PST) were first planted, when parishioner Peter Borst of Immaculate Conception and St Norbert’s, Spalding, gifted the parish a Methodist Chapel adjacent to the church, before he passed away in May 2021.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of parish priest, Fr Jim Burke, the dynamic management from Tracey Carter plus a dedicated committee and vital funding from the diocesan Mission Enabling Team; Project St Thomas is receiving widespread support from a host of local partners, in recognition of the wonderful ways in which it serves the community.

Since PST recruited consultant Tracey Carter in June 2025, six local businesses are now sponsoring PST, in addition to financial and material backing from the Local district Council Lottery scheme, the Co-op and the hardware chain B and Q, to name a few.

In its infancy, PST centred on providing free meals to about 40 people every Sunday but since June, many more philanthropic, community-minded projects have flourished including a weekly coffee morning; a weekly men’s group; a Thursday afternoon music group; a mums in need clothing store and a dementia friendly café on a Wednesday.

All these initiatives depend on partnerships with surrounding businesses and services. For instance, PST’s soon to be commencing Saturday morning book club- Nutrition and Read- has meant teaming up with the local library to ensure that a supply of free books is available for children to take home at each session, with a view to returning them the following week and discussing the book with friends.

PST’s session ensure that support is available for all ranges of community members, from young to old, for the financially challenged and those who are just looking for more social opportunities, plus practical assistance in the form of crisis funding.

PST is now coordinating 15 supermarket collections each week, to ensure that surplus food is thoughtfully and discreetly distributed to those who need it most, whether they attend Sunday lunch at the church hall or if they reside at one of the local council’s sheltered sites.

By the end of July, PST had rescued 2,031 KG of surplus food and provided the equivalent of 4,836 meals.

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Tracey shared one personal story of an elderly gentleman, living on a sheltered site, who had not cooked a meal since his wife had died but after a food delivery from PST, felt motivated to take some food home and make a home-cooked meal, for the first time in months.

PST has several new projects currently being drafted, including the immensely needed financial advice centre, which volunteers are scheduled to commence their training in November, so residents will then be able to receive free budgeting and benefit advice.

PST has also been partnering with AGE UK to host a ‘stroll and sway’ dance class for people with limited mobility, which has attracted a large senior crowd and a friendship group is aiming to be delivered at the hall, with Age UK too.

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Commenting on her time so far with PST, Tracey Carter said:

"It's been an extraordinary honour to develop PST into what it is today. Father Jim and the committee's unwavering support has allowed us to advance this project with remarkable momentum. Their confidence in my leadership ensures everything runs smoothly, and together with the MEF and our dedicated volunteers, we've built a powerful support network that now reaches hundreds of people and transforms lives daily. While our journey continues with much still to accomplish, I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come together."