A Word From Our CEO, Wesley Downs:
“For the last twenty years, we have boldly declared that by faith anyone can be forgiven.
We have seen with our eyes, that Jesus Christ will never turn away those who come in true repentance and faith.”
This month marks 20 years of Renewal North West.
The charity began in 2005 to help Christians experiencing addiction and/or offending. They wanted to learn the skills, knowledge and discipline needed to change their lives and live for God.
Before we had a physical base, my wife and I supported people in our home. We would welcome men who had met with Jesus in prison and surrendered their lives to him. On release, they needed a home, a family and a job, to keep them from returning to their previous lifestyle. There have always been more people than beds, so over the years, we have created more accommodation, so that we can support more people. This became the Renewal Living Programme that we run today.
Initially, our clients were based in Greater Manchester, but as the need grew, we moved into Meadow Mill, an old textile mill in Stockport. Each day began by reading the Bible together, which we still do today! Preaching the Gospel is one of our priorities and brings us so much joy.
Time and again, we have seen God change the trajectory of someone’s life for the better. He did such a thing for our dear friend, Robbie. Robbie went to prison for bank robbery, served his time and then came to live in our home. He stayed at Renewal for 10 years and went from being a bank robber to the person who banked the charity’s money!
Another example of transformation is Wayne, who was addicted to heroin for 25 years. He came to us from prison and stayed for two years. He is now married and is a Sunday school teacher at his church.
Scott has been with us since 2022 and is now an employee and a church missionary secretary. These are some of the wonderful stories of transformation and renewal of the mind, for the glory of God.
Now, in 2025, Renewal employs 35 people and has a similar number of volunteers. We started with 1 project (repairing and refurbishing computers and furniture in the Mill) and now, thanks to the amazing property we have on Shaw Heath, we can run 7:
- Renewal Furniture Warehouse, sells low-cost, high-quality clothing, furniture, electrics and bric-a-brac.
- Community Computers refurbish computers. These are distributed across Greater Manchester and Stockport to reduce the digital divide.
- Community Appliances repair electrical and white goods, which are sold in the furniture warehouse for as little as £59.
- Renewal House Clearances provides sensitive house clearing services.
- Refresh Coffee House provides our customers with affordable, fresh and healthy food.
- Renewal eBay sells unique items to customers across the world, allowing us to maximise profits on higher quality items.
- Renewal Living offers residential support and accommodation.
For the last twenty years, we have boldly declared that by faith anyone can be forgiven. We have seen with our eyes, that Jesus Christ will never turn away those who come in true repentance and faith.
As we look back and see what GOD has done we say “To God be the glory great things He hath done!” We thank you for your support and prayers and hope you will remain with us on the journey. Who knows where we’ll be in 40 years!
