Friday 10th May was a very special night within the Parish Community of St Augustine's and beyond as we celebrated the successes of the Soup Run in Bristol's City Centre and the Project to help Haven Home Orphanage in India.
Martyn Poole is the catalyst that has motivated our Community to give so freely and generously of time, money and prayers over many years to make these 2 projects so very successful.
Martyn was nominated for a British Empire Medal and on Friday evening the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucester, Dame Janet Trotter, and her deputy, came to our Church for a special Thanksgiving service and to award Martyn his medal in front of his family, colleagues, distiguished guests, such as the Lord Mayor and Sir George and Lady White, Counsellor Janet Biggin and many friends and wellwishers.
Hundreds turned up to celebrate with Martyn as all within our Parishes were invited to come along, as was the school community here at St Augustine's and in Silverhill, Winterbourne ( as large supporters also of the Soup Run and India projects) and many other individuals and groups too, all who have helped over the years with the projects.
Martyn has been involved with the Bristol Soup Run Trust for a long, long time and has helped set up 2 groups at our Church who run on Saturday evenings twice a month providing fantastic assistance to those who need it, with hot food, drinks and soup as well as sandwiches, cakes and practical items (razors, blankets, candles) and most important of all, giving time, a listening ear and a sense of worth.
Martyn also got involved the week after retiring from B.A.C. with Haven Home Orphanage in India, being 'persuaded' to go out to build play equipment, then visiting again to build bunk beds and then helping raise over £20,000 to build a school there! The money raised over the years for them now totals over £50,000 and a functioning Medical Centre for the local area now forms part of the thriving Haven Home Community.
On Friday the Church was packed and spirits were high in a mood of celebration and thanksgiving for all those that have been helped by the projects.
We continued the celebrations in the School Hall afterwards with refreshments and speeches praising Martyn for how hard he works, how well he motivates us all to care for others
and for his inability to say no to a good cause!
We congratulate you Martyn and all who are involved, in any way, with the work carried out for the Homeless of Bristol and for the Children and Community of Haven Home, India.