God provides over 20 thousand pounds for a sensory garden in Brinnington, Stockport. Counties evangelist, Martin Korchinsky shares the story.

Martin & Angie Korchinsky

Martin is Brinnington Community Church's pastor, based on a housing estate in Stockport. He preaches and runs youth clubs, drop-ins, a food bank, Neighbourhood Chaplains, and various mission weeks in the local area. Martin is married to Angie and has three grown-up children and two foster children. He was introduced to Counties by the Church Planting Initiative.

We recently received funding to build a sensory garden at the back of the church, and work has now commenced. Even though six months ago, nothing was farther from our thoughts!
It happened through one of the Lord's "God-incidences.”

About six months ago, a group of mums of SEND children started meeting every Friday afternoon for two hours in our building. They call themselves Different But The Same and operate as a support group for one another. I have a great relationship with them, as the lady who runs it was a volunteer at our youth club some years ago.
At the same time, the "official group" Brinnington SEND, which is focused on organizing events for the children, hired our building for their fun day. (Due to the relatively high number of special needs children on the estate and the lack of support available, mums decided to take matters into their own hands)

After speaking to the groups, they both lamented the local lack of a sensory space. The nearest one is two buses away, and that's a problem for kids with sensory issues.
The events group discussed long-term campaigning for funding but had other more pressing issues to address before they could even consider starting that.

I wanted to help but decided to leave it with God.

Two weeks later, I was in a meeting with a trustee of the Foodbank that we've hosted weekly for the last 12 years. He told me they had received a large amount of funding recently to expand their impact on the communities they are already active in but wanted to know if I had any ideas for Brinnington as I was the man on the ground.

I was caught off guard and had no idea how much we talked about, but I just blurted out: "This community really needs a sensory garden."

Six months later, with £23 k budget, work has begun on the garden I designed for them (my background was in gardening)

The groups are excited, and the Community will be greatly blessed by this. The church also works with three dementia Care Homes in Brinnington, and I think it will be a blessing for them to use as well.