St Mary’s Beeston have been flipping burgers for hungry Leeds United fans on their way to Elland Road this season.
Volunteers at the church sell the burgers, bacon butties and mini hot dogs (a new addition this season’s menu) over the church wall before Leeds United’s Saturday home matches.
Vicar of Beeston, Revd Lindsey Pearson, says, “In addition to raising some funds for our Parish Centre, we’re also showing that there is life in the church.”
Last season, the project raised £1,100 to help with the running costs of the Church’s Parish Centre.
Revd Pearson explains, “Our gas bills are huge and we had a bad few years a little while ago when the recession struck and we lost some regular bookings.
“Although we’re turning it around we’d like to raise some money to get it back on a good footing so we can keep it going for all sorts of community groups as well as church activities.”
Though a figure hasn’t been set, Revd Lindsey Pearson hopes the project will make around £1,500 this season, which should be helped along by the addition of the mini hot dogs to the menu.
The meat is bought from the church’s local butcher before the bacon and burgers are cooked in the church kitchen and eventually finished off on the barbecue within the church grounds.
Revd Lindsey Pearson says, “It started as fundraising for the Parish Centre, but we’ve realised it’s about more than this – it shows the church is alive, and it’s good to make connections with people who pass by the church.”
She adds, “It’s good for church members to work together doing this, and it’s also good to support our local butcher, Mark.
“It’s all done by volunteers and it’s been a good team building exercise.”
Revd Pearson says, “Some supporters are amused, some say they are pleased to see us doing it, some keep their heads down. We don’t get many negative reactions.
“We have ‘regulars’ who remembered us from last season, and we get a lot of goodwill from supporters.”
Listen to Revd Lindsey Pearson’s interview with Premier Christian Radio about the selling the burgers here: http://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-flipping-burgers-for-football-fans
Photographs credited to South Leeds Life/Jeremy Morton.