News

For a number of years Ward has been supporting the Arena Church and Community project in our home town of Ilkeston. Contributing to the community and the environments where our business operates is core to the family values of our fourth generation family business. 

So, when we received an email from Lead Pastor at Arena Church and Community Church recently, to our Director Dennis Bell, it was a welcome yet completely unexpected surprise.

“Would you please receive my thanks personally as you have been an instigator of so much good will that we have been able to pour out upon the town of Ilkeston. Also please pass on my thanks to the entire Wards family and team who have encouraged us and helped us with our mission to make Ilkeston a better place to live for everyone.

There is a proverb that I like to quote that says “the world of the generous gets larger and larger while the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

This sums up Wards. You are a generous company and my hope is that you will become stronger and larger in the days to come. You are a credit to our town and region and I am grateful for a company that is so philanthropic at its core!”

You can read the full text below. We hope we can continue to contribute and support our community for years to come. Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

—

Dear Dennis

I hope that you and the team are doing well.

I wanted to write to you in my capacity as the Lead Pastor of Arena and on behalf of the church.

As you know we are a faith community that has been in Ilkeston since 1929. Since 2000 we have committed to being operational 7 days a week as we practically serve the local community and engage and interact particularly with brokeness, dysfunctionality and poverty amongst the most dis-advantaged, children and seniors.  We didn’t want to be a church that just held services but wanted to break out of the 4 walls and practically serve and help!

Our church congregation is so generous but our reach and vision exceeds our ability to give. It takes us over £350,000 per year to run our community operation and give-aways. You and the entire Wards family and team have been nothing short of incredible. Over the years you have partnered with us and literally given £10,000’s in help, assistance and actual cash that we in turn have then been able to serve the local community. Some sponsors help us in a one off capacity but you have committed to the long haul. You are without equal our biggest sponsor other than Arena Church itself. 

You have helped us in local schools- building playgrounds and gardens which have served 100’s of children. You have given us food for our Foodbank that serves 1000’s of families each year. You bought us a mini-bus that we used to launch our after school club that helped around 50 children referred from social services and the schools due to “extreme poverty”. 

Over the years you have underwritten Christmas meals for seniors and children and have helped us to distribute food hampers and presents to families and children in our community who have little or nothing! Buying meat and groceries that we can then use to serve many.  

When we have held our annual “Serve days” which help practically some of the most deprived estates and areas locally. Through litter picking, gardening and other projects you have donated skips, timber, building supplies and slabs!

I could recount countless times that you have helped. 

One instance that really comes to mind is when Wards donated £5000. Last year 2020 you didn’t hold your annual Christmas staff party due to COVID. The directors gave this money away instead and we were recipients of this amount. What you wouldn’t know is we were in great need as a church / charity due to COVID-19 and the demands that this pandemic had had on us. The local needs had increased dramatically and this gift was a “God send”!

Would you please receive my thanks personally as you have been an instigator of so much good will that we have been able to pour out upon the town of Ilkeston. Also please pass on my thanks to the entire Wards family and team who have encouraged us and helped us with our mission to make Ilkeston a better place to live for everyone. 

There is a proverb that I like to quote that says “the world of the generous gets larger and larger while the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” 

This sums up Wards. You are a generous company and my hope is that you will become stronger and larger in the days to come. You are a credit to our town and region and I am grateful for a company that is so philanthropic at its core! 

I am proud to partner with such a caring company that sees and meets the needs of the community. 

I wish you and your business every success in the future. 

Kind regards

Kristian Thorpe

Lead Pastor