January 2011 - CNI was delighted to welcome Adam full time for the charity. On New Years Day, Premier Christian Radio featured the work of the CNI.
February 2011 - 60 volunteers were commissioned at the launch of Woking Street Angels and, as part of Love Your Streets weekend, Beeston Street Angels in Nottingham was launched with Roy Crowne from HOPE and Paul Blakey. The High Sheriff of West Sussex joined Arun Angels. CNI Network hosted a day to look at The Big Society with Steve Chalke's Big Response tour.
March 2011 - CNI Network became a lead organisation on pulling together the Games Pastors element of More Than Gold. Paul and Adam continued to make links with partner organisations including BibleFresh, Beyond The Streets, Hope City Church and The Cinnamon Network. Adam spent two days in Bristol meeting with the Urban Canon of the Cathedral.
April 2011 - CNI worked with Faithworks to host 2 Debating Democracy events to discuss the AV Referendum. Hitchin Street Angels took to the streets for the first time. The first CNI Regional Coordinators Gathering was held with key people from across the UK setting vision for the future of CNI. Our oldest volunteer, John Langdon from Ripon City Pastors, celebrated his 90th Birthday! Adam attended the Church Urban Fund conference in London where the speaker was Lord Nat Wei as well as a weekend in Blackpool speaking in the Crossing Places seminar at the Baptist Union Assembly.
May 2011 - Hartlepool Town Pastors took to the streets based at Living Waters Elim Church in Hartlepool centre. Norfolk Street Pastors became part of CNI and we made links with Waterway Safety Campaign aiming to reduce the number of incidents around alcohol and water. CNI re-focussed its work around the 5 strands. Paul and Adam attended the Partnership event in Bradford hosted by Christians Against Poverty.
June 2011 - a team from CNI were part of Pentecost Festival in London handing out sweets and making links with people as part of Love Your Streets.
July 2011 - The Prime Minister David Cameron gave his support to CNI in a letter ahead of August's CNI Reception at the Houses of Parliament.
August 2011 - CNI hosted a reception for 86 people from local projects and partner organisations at the Houses of Parliament. The day celebrated all that is achieved week in week out by volunteers and the difference that makes in our nation; Paul was interviewed for Revelation TV in response to the riots and young people, with Adam and Becky attending the Agape Celebration in November.
September 2011 - The Bishop of Pontefract, Tony Robinson, became the Patron of Street Angels - CNI and committed to seeing towns and cities launch projects to help reduce violent crime. The CNI Walk in Scotland and Week of prayer saw Paul, Jean and Adam walking 46 miles coast to coast to pray for the nation, work of local projects and to raise money for CNI. It was also great to make links with Beth Tash a Pioneer Minister for the Night-Time Economy in Leeds (a unique post funded by the Church of England).
October 2011 - CNI filmed a 9 part TV series "MakingTheDifference.tv" for airing on Revelation TV and a dedicated web site. This series highlighted the work of several local projects and partner organisations. Stockton Town Pastors, Boro Angels and Hartlepool Town Pastors have worked on an accredited training package for local projects and the first training day worked well with a view to offer this nationally in 2012.
November 2011 - Much of the month was spent looking ahead to our vision for 2012 with our commitment to More Than Gold and Games Pastors being the main focus as well as widening the leadership of CNI with a national board of trustees (instead of a local board from Halifax at present). Paul and Adam met with the Mission team from the United Reformed Church nationally.
December 2011 - Adam attended a successful meeting with Andrew Stunel, the Government Minister for Faith Communities accompanied by Jon Burns, the UK Director of More than Gold. CNI was represented at the Big Wedding of the year, when Adam and Becky got married. Projects in Northern Ireland also decided to become part of CNI Network and these links will be developed in 2012...
Thank you to those who have worked with us to help make the year happen - our vision is "supporting people and making the difference" - this is happening week in and week out in the night-time economy with CNI Network supporting and celebrating all that happens.
Welcome to the 2011 Christian Nightlife Initiatives Annual Report..
2011 has been an exciting year of growth and expansion - both in terms of numbers of local expressions of work in the night-time economy and the influence of CNI Network to tell the local stories and impact to a national audience.
Our vision of working across five strands (local projects, network, national influence, Making The Difference and Love Your Streets) was launched in June 2011 and this has helped focus and strengthen the work of CNI Network.
With: a reception at the Houses of Parliament; filming of a 9 part TV series; the continued impact of local projects around reduced crime and vulnerable people helped; involvement in key initiatives such as More Than Gold; and the support given to those serving our towns on the front-line - CNI Network has helped bring God's Kingdom to our nation!
Thank you for the part you play in this exciting work that is making the difference in the lives of individuals and the wider community...
Paul Blakey MBE Founder Street Angels - CNI Network
This year has seen Christian Nightlife Initiatives put on the map! Christian Nightlife Initiatives has been in operation since 2008, but now we are in 'take off' mode. It is a huge encouragement to hear those in authority comment on the creditably that we have as a charity. Crime has been reduced in 2011 and much of that has been achieved by having those committed to being at the cold face in a range of weathers,
This annual report demonstrates the wide and diverse work that this charity is engaged in. I am delighted that we have been able to take steps in faith to ensure that the work of amazing people up and down the land are recognised and celebrated. It has been such a joy and delight to meet such a range of people, from MP's, leading church leaders to those who actually work in the communities, towns and cities.
2012 is a great opportunities for Christians to be at the forefront of all that is happening. The achievements of 2011 are able to be built upon and exceeded. It is my hope and prayer that CNI can have an agenda of community, Christian Gospel as we approach the Olympics and much more.
Like Paul, I want to end by paying tribute to all those who have and continue to stand alongside us in this much valued ministry. CNI has a family heart, and I would like to invite those not yet involved to come and join us!
Adam May Director of Development
How you can support CNI Network:
CNI Network is an umbrella organisation supporting local projects and being a voice for faith work in the night-time economy. We are a Registered Charity (1136416) and Company Limited by Guarantee (07173090). We would value support in a number of ways:
Prayer - each month we publish a newsletter which includes prayer needs - please pray!
Partnership - Paul and Adam would love to meet with you to discuss the potential of working in partnership...
Projects - Paul and Adam would be happy to support you if you want to start a local project in your locality...
Finance - the work of CNI is supported through donations - you can give via text (DUCK22 £amount to 70070), on-line, by donating a scrap car or as you shop.
Moving forward into 2012 Street Angels - CNI Network has a big vision - this includes:
* To work out the logistics for becoming a national charity with national trustees with local branches (at the moment Street Angels - CNI is part of the work of Halifax Street Angels).
* To produce more MakingTheDifference.tv programmes to showcase the amazing work of local projects and partner organisations.
* To see more local projects launched across the UK and to make links with more partners.
* To strengthen the links with local projects - to offer the big picture vision of the amazing things God, in partnership with volunteers and projects, is impacting the UK and Australia with.
* To be a key part of the Games Pastors strand of More Than Gold which plans to see 1000 volunteers mobilized to be Street Angels around the Olympics (sign up here!)
* To run more Love Your Streets initiatives to encourage social action and to promote initiatives such as Big Lunch and community Olympic events.
* To increase our finances so we can do more and not be held back by lack of finance.
* To roll out the training package developed by Steve Brock from CNI in Tees Valley across the UK.
Progress across the Five Strands:
Local Projects - the number of local projects working within the night-time economy linked to CNI has grown over 2011 (hello to Beeston, Woking and Hartlepool amongst others) and many projects are looking to start in 2012 including St Albans, Biggleswade, Oldham, Macclesfield and Burton Upon Trent and beginnings of links with projects in Australia. CNI has helped several local projects with training (with an accredited training package in development), advice and support. We have told the story of local projects through our newsletter, Facebook and Blog.
Network - CNI set out to support and create local, regional and national networks of projects, partners and other agencies as we believe greater community transformation happens when we partner and unite! We have supported successful regional gatherings such as on South Coast and in Teeside and organised events across the UK with this model. We have increased the number of partners we work with many of whom offer support and advice to issues faced in the night-time economy.
National Influence - CNI regularly holds meetings with MP's (including our Houses of Parliament reception in August), national Policing, national church networks and agencies such as the Home Office. Paul and Adam are two of the national experts on issues within the night-time economy. Part of this strand is to increase publicity of Christian based work within the media and Paul and Adam are regularly featured on local, regional and national media.
Making The Difference - this strand has produced a 9 part TV series featuring local projects and partner organisations with more filming planned for 2012. Halifax runs a Social Media and Your Organisation course for local community groups, churches, charities and businesses which is available nationally.
Love Your Streets - was launched in February 2011 as a way of promoting and encouraging community and social action - from the small ideas such as picking up litter, checking on neighbours to more organised ideas such as Neighbourhood Watch, the Big Lunch and more.
Support the work of CNI Network and several local projects - here Follow CNI Network on Facebook and Twitter Registered Charity - 1136416 / Company Limited by Guarantee 07173090
