The Friendship Circle is delighted to have been awarded a prestigious Mitzvah Day Award for Outstanding Interfaith Partnership.
The annual Mitzvah Day Awards celebrate the very best of Britain’s biggest faith-based day of social action. It recognises those volunteers and projects that go above and beyond to make a real difference in society.
The award for interfaith partnerships sought the best collaborative project between Jews and other faith groups, with an emphasis on bringing people of different faiths together. For Mitzvah Day 2018, The Friendship Circle gave people with disabilities the opportunity to join with members of Manchester’s Muslim and Sikh communities to help some of the most vulnerable people in the city by collecting necessities, making sandwiches and putting together care packs for people on the streets of Manchester. Hannah Mendell, a Friendship Circle member said: “The homeless people were so thankful. It really opened my eyes and made me realise that giving back means such a lot.”
The Friendship Circle fills a gap in the social, emotional and cultural provision with people with learning disabilities in the Manchester area. With a wide and varied range of recreational programmes coupled with a buddying programme, the Volunteering Club aims to encourage members to contribute to the community in a multitude of ways.
“Volunteering with interfaith and Jewish communal groups such as Mitzvah Day not only helps people less fortunate than ourselves, but it helps our members feel valued and make an impact. Interfaith work is so crucial in creating a more accepting society” Esty Bruck, programme director of The Friendship Circle said.