Stephen Timms MP

Mr Timm’s views epitomise the high regard that politicians have for Pecan

‘It was pretty clear that the estate was dramatically changed by the work of Pecan.’

Stephen Timms first came into contact with Pecan in 1994, his first year as an MP. And what he saw impressed him.

‘I don’t think any other kind of organisation would have been able to undertake the long-term, wide-scale volunteering effort that Pecan did on the North Peckham estates,’ he says.

As Vice-Chair of the Labour Party, Mr Timms has a particular responsibility for faith groups, an area he’s clearly passionate about.

‘Church communities bring in the kind of values that can make a project like Pecan succeed,’ he explains, ‘those of responsibility, compassion and patience. Both local councils and central government need to be working with initiatives like Pecan if we are going to bring about the changes in our communities that we wish to see.’

Mr Timm’s views epitomise the high regard that politicians have for Pecan. In 2008, while serving as Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, he spoke at an event celebrating Workout, Pecan’s ex-offender programme. He emphasises how impressed he was with the work he saw.

When we present ourselves to government, we never hide our strong and underpinning basis of faith. And this basis of faith, believes Mr Timms, has made a big difference.

‘Pecan continues to be a very powerful model for how caring church members can contribute to a really big change in the economic well-being of their local area,’ he says. ‘At the heart of Pecan is the regular prayer meeting. And the churches who support the work in prayer reflect a very important source of the essence of the project.’