Nearly £6000 was raised last year by St Mary’s Church in Tadley, all from eating a good old fashioned fried English breakfast! While this might not be the healthiest way to raise money, it certainly has been the tastiest, benefiting 11 local and national charities and involving all of the local community.
St Mary’s has been putting its kitchen to good use, inviting the community in every month for a tasty breakfast and in the process raising thousands of pounds for charity.
Revd Steve McKay, Rector of Tadley with Pamber Heath and Silchester, comments, “Several years ago I was chairing my first APCM at St Mary’s, Tadley North, and was asked ‘How can we give more?’ What started as a simple question turned into a vision for the church.”
The St Mary’s team joke that it is probably the only church in the diocese with food in its strapline (Faith, Food, Family), and is known locally as the ‘cake church!’ Dial back four years and the picture was very different. The church had a tiny kitchen, which hadn’t really updated since the 1960s. It was totally unsuitable for making a cup of tea, let alone producing a full English breakfast! The church knew that improving the facilities would become a lever for mission, and set about raising several hundred thousand pounds to improve the kitchen, toilets and hall.
Revd Steve comments, “What was unexpected was how fundraising for a building project created an atmosphere of mission, galvanising the community who came together to make the project happen and have stuck with us now we are using the facilities for the monthly breakfasts.”
Following the completion of the building project, breakfast began in earnest in 2024, averaging an income of around £250 a month. In 2025, this doubled to over £500 a month, while the first breakfast of 2026 raised over £700! January was a particularly poignant breakfast as the money went to University of London Hospital for research into a rare auto immune condition that sadly claimed the life of one of the parishioners at a young age.
A member of the congregation commented, “It was an honour to do this for Kate and we were joined by her parents which made the occasion even more special.” Other charities benefiting in 2025 were The Stoke Association, St. Michael’s Hospice, Barnabas Aid, Christian Aid, Diabetes UK, Yeldall Manor, MacMillan Cancer Support, Hampshire Hospitals Charity, The Adonai Centre in Uganda, and Riding for the Disabled.
Revd Steve said, “I am so proud of the team at St Mary’s. It would have been so easy to see this a way to boost church funds, but they just want to serve and to give. They love our community and are passionate about feeding them both spiritually and physically! The breakfasts have ensured that whether you are on your way to school or work, or simply want somewhere warm and welcoming, St Mary’s is open and at the heart of its community. It is church as it should be: welcoming, warm, honest, inclusive, and generous.”
Hungry? You can join the Tadley Community every third Friday at St. Mary’s, Bishopswood, Road, Tadley, RG26 4HQ for a fantastic cooked breakfast (heathy options are available too!)
