The annual Macclesfield Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast was held on Friday 1st March, and local MP, David Rutley, joined the Mayor of Macclesfield, Councillor Adam Schofield, the Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor Lesley Smetham, Police Chief Inspector, Jez Taylor and the Chairman of East Cheshire NHS Trust, Lynn McGill at the event. Some eighty other guests also supported this well-established and much-loved fixture in the local calendar.
First launched in 2005, the Macclesfield Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast is organised by Hope in North East Cheshire, which brings together some thirty-nine Churches in the area to work together for the benefit of their communities. This is an important opportunity for local civic leaders to give thanks and pay tribute to the vital work undertaken by so many charities across local communities. The theme for this year's event was 'The challenges facing children and young people', and it was appropriate that many organisations supporting young people were present. These included: Just Drop-In (of which David is a Patron), the Cre8 Youth and Community Programme (Moss Rose), the Core (Upton Priory) and Open the Book. Many local Church Leaders and Church Members, Councillors, Head Teachers, and representatives of local charities and businesses were also guests. Leaders of some of these organisations and the young people whom they support led the presentations and prayers.
David, who works very closely with many of the charities that were present, addressed the Prayer Breakfast, highlighting how he has seen first-hand the vital work of so many local charities and the positive impact they are making in improving the lives of residents across North East Cheshire. He pledged his continued support for their important endeavours in and around local communities.
Any local residents interested in funding out more about these organisations can email Pip Mosscrop, Co-ordinator of Hope in North East Cheshire, at pipmosscrop2@yahoo.co.uk.
Speaking after the Prayer Breakfast, David said, "This is an important opportunity to show our respect for the many local charities that work so hard across our towns and villages, and it was great to see representatives from so many sectors in our communities present to give their thanks. I am proud to be able to work so closely with excellent local charities such as Just Drop In and Cre8, and I know that the positive projects that they support in and around Macclesfield, with particular focus on young people, are widely appreciated. I look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the months ahead."