CAP was formed in September 1997 from a desire by Ernest & Elisabeth Hibbert to try and meet some of the needs of the community, i.e. the residents of Wakefield Metropolitan District and to raise the awareness of the general public not least of all those attending the local churches, as to the problems in society today. A clear purpose and a set of core Christian values underpin all the Trust’s services and aims.
In their own words:
“On a Saturday evening in February early 90’s whilst on a weekend away in London we visited firstly St Pauls Cathedral, it was evensong and the awesomeness and grandeur of the occasion left us both speechless. Continuing our sightseeing we walked until we had arrived at St Martin in the Fields. We went into the crypt and saw the soup kitchen, we went into the church and in the dimness could see men and women huddled on the radiators for warmth, asleep and oblivious to our intrusion. We crept out feeling we should not be disturbing them but the effect on both of us was profound. We walked away and back to our hotel in silence. Who had got it right? That evening still lives with us and it was from that night that CAP was birthed.
We felt the need and obligation to make the Church aware of what was happening in our ‘community’ and also to let the ‘community’ know that there was a God who cared”.