BBC's special correspondent Ed Thomas witnesses the struggles first hand in one town. "I was in turmoil," he says. "The level of need here in Burnley at the moment, I think, is unprecedented," said Fr Alex. Video, 00:03:10, Music video and wedding filmed at erupting volcano. What's more, the local council's spending power was reduced at a greater rate than the English average between 2010/11 and 2018/19. His phone never stopped. I was retching and I punched and smashed the car radio, my hand started to bleed. His Dad was a window cleaner, who had contracts to clean factories around the town, and, as Mick describes him, a "proper Labour-supporting man". She was distressed but finding comfort in Mick's words. "I watched him walk out of the gym. "There's no need to push - there's plenty," shouted Kaz, a friend of Pastor Mick's, and a volunteer. But it is.". They were about to get hurt, and badly. But Mick's life wasn't always about love and care. Mick describes in detail seeing a blinding light coming from one of the children's hands. "I go into houses and I sometimes have children ripping the bags open as I am carrying them through the door." And then, he says, he pleaded with God to help him. He had two kids with him, two young children, blonde girls, around five years old. The man died two years later but his family was thankful they'd all been together. He shouted, 'Your sister is dead.' "My foot is white, Pastor Mick, I'm in so much pain," he said. I didn't know what was happening to me.". Donations to a Burnley charity, that touched the hearts of people across the nation,when it featured in a television documentary, have risen to almost £55,000 in a matter of days. "All this destroyed my mental health, too. 91 talking about this. Mick Fleming, of Church on the Street, wept as he told the BBC that in some homes he has visited, hungry children … I'd see people going to work with sandwich boxes and I didn't want that. There was more though - pre-prepared food bags for people to take home. Here, BBC News Online brings you some of the key reports of the violence and findings of the subsequent inquiries. A church in Burnley has seen ‘unprecedented demand’ for help during the pandemic. The truth was very different. The van was packed with food, bread, biscuits, milk, chocolate. "We were in debt for well over a thousand pound. At just 14 he was dealing drugs. None of it worked.". Some of the worst rioting the UK has seen in 20 years erupted in the summer months in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford in the north of England. For 15 seconds I couldn't see," he says. I was overwhelmed.". Pastor Mick has travelled his own road to Damascus, from a life of crime to being tested everyday by the impact of coronavirus. Afterwards, the woman, Sonia, explained the difference Pastor Mick and Fr Alex have made to her life. ", "This is why I'm free, I'm not spending my life in torment. But nothing happened. It is about money and numbers, and statistics. St Peter's, Burnley's Parish Church, dates from before 1120 when it is first mentioned. Video, 00:03:41Music video and wedding filmed at erupting volcano, George Floyd: How Black Lives Matter protesters feel now. They gave him things - cigarettes, clothes, trainers. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was 10am, in a rough industrial area, far away from his home county of Lancashire. News People Burnley pastor's catchphrase is in step with bid to raise awareness of how vital early detection of cancer can be A catchy and memorable phrase, coined by a Burnley pastor and his fiancee to help raise awareness of cancer, has become an internet hit. "I broke down, the tears would not stop falling, and I started to feel sick again. I was now a very dangerous man collecting debts, hurting people. A christian church with regular weekly Sunday services, but with proactive community action on the streets. Video, 00:07:22, 24 hours with the only doctor on a malaria ward, 'My nan is blowing up all over TikTok' Video, 00:02:51, Oscars 2021: 'I don't mind being the underdog' Video, 00:02:41, Oscars 2021: 'I don't mind being the underdog', Armel Zola helping people 'stay positive' at home. I always believed in God, but I also believed God didn't think too much of me.". Blackburn. It's redemption.". Why? Mick was in a stolen car - a dark blue Vauxhall Cavalier - with the engine running. Mick's mum had to step in to take care of the children, to prevent social services getting involved. Today you'll find the man now known as Pastor Mick, with the charity Church on the Street Ministries, in Burnley, with those most in need - the homeless, the drug users, the hungry. Latest; Traffic and Travel ... Burnley shoppers hitting the high street more than before pandemic John Deehan. Queen Street Mill, Burnley. Burnley Community Church has been operating around Burnley town centre for the last 6 months. We can't rely on a food bank, it doesn't seem right, it doesn't seem modern day Britain. The Church on the Street Ministries helps and support people affected by homelessness and addiction. I wasn't bothered. "I'm sorry about getting upset. My son suffers from depression from it, and so does my wife.". Burnley Community Church is a standard Christian Church with regular weekly Sunday services, but with proactive community action on the streets. It's hard to believe this is happening in the UK today. Pure hell. This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. It was hard not to notice the hands grabbing what they could, a slight push and a shove. He was just 11 years old. Sheila relies on her 21-year-old granddaughter. Pastor Mick is proud that it is "the people of faith who are stepping in and making a massive difference". It was the end of a troubled life, and the beginning of a new one of hope. CoTs Community Hub is open to all members of the community. Pastor Mick Fleming and his colleague Ryan Kilbride have been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic, not treating patients in hospital but battling poverty in Burnley with their charity Church On The Street (COTS). 21 talking about this. Mick Fleming, in his early 40s, was waiting outside a gym for someone to emerge. This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. It was only 6pm but it was quiet - a silence we've become used to during lockdowns. This was going to have to be quick. Everybody is … Two weeks ago, millions of people watched Pastor Mick Fleming and Father Alex Frost on BBC News, feeding and clothing the poor in Burnley. "And it's not alright that, and it wasn't as bad as that before the virus.". The room next to the altar is now a makeshift food bank. But what happened next was both cruel and extraordinary. The life of Pastor Mick Fleming, the man behind the Burnley charity, Church On The Street (COTS), now making headlines across the UK is one that many wouldn't believe if it were the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster or the latest paperback crime novel. "It wasn't poverty, but it wasn't luxury. "There was no sun, it was a dull dark day, I knew his routine, everything about him," he says. Urgent Appeal for help in Burnley. Pastor Mick's voice started to falter, the emotion was too much. "What I do today, it's not a penance, it's the complete opposite. Many were moved by their work, and since then they have received more than £250,000 in donations. "Within 24 hours, I was sectioned under The Mental Health Act. She stopped living," he said. Mick listened to him, cared for him, helped him to get sober and reunite with his family. I had no idea of how much I'd be needed and how once again I'd be overwhelmed by suffering and pain.". "I've never seen anything like this, on this scale,'' said Pastor Mick, "Poverty seems to be hidden, It's underneath the surface that people don't see, they think they do but they don't. Burnley vicar highlighting food poverty in town as part of BBC report Father Alex Frost, vicar at Burnley St Matthew’s and his friend Pastor Mick Fleming from the Church on the Streets Ministry in the town were busy on BBC TV and radio this week, raising awareness about food poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic in Burnley. It wasn't easy, it was horrendous. He started helping others. Originally Burnley's commercial centre, the market and shops were clustered around St Peter's, but in the 18th century a new town centre was developed The BBC News app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android. This was just a small insight into one day on Pastor Mick's journey in one town. A chance meeting with a tutor at the University of Manchester led to a degree in theology. It was here that Mick met Pastor Tony, who used to visit the unit. "I stopped eating for about a week, I just ended up collapsing on my bathroom floor and I were there for, I think, a full day," she tells me. "I'm not Asda," Pastor Mick retorted with a smile. Read about our approach to external linking. This time to see Viv. "Don't worry brother, we'll get you sorted." Mick Fleming, of Church on the Street, wept as he told the BBC that in some homes he has visited, hungry children have been "ripping the bags open to get at the food". Inside St Matthew's, Fr Alex, broke down and sobbed. "My gun was in a plastic carrier bag, on the passenger seat, wrapped tight. Most here were respectful and thankful, but there was also a sense of community. "Politicians say that it's a leveller, this coronavirus. It was my dad. Video, 00:02:59, George Floyd: How Black Lives Matter protesters feel now. Mick doesn't know what really happened to him that day, but one thing he is certain of - this was the moment that changed his life forever. Church on the Street pastor Mick Fleming broke down as he told the BBC that children were "ripping the bags open to get at the food". We build relationships as God did through listening, asking questions, being present and consistent, and showing compassion to all of God’s people. But with his dependency came criminality. Read about our approach to external linking. Mick had got some high-energy nutrition drinks to drop off. After 25 minutes, the initial rush had calmed. âChildren ripping bags open for foodâ Video, 00:05:24âChildren ripping bags open for foodâ, Up Next. Together they prayed and talked, and Mick says he began to feel emotions again. CoTs Community Hub is open to all members of the community. He was the man others would ring to clear drug debts, and by the time he got the call it meant someone was heavily in debt to equally dangerous people. But this time was different. "It was white, brilliant white. Fleming, of Burnley’s Church on the Street charity, has spent months dealing with the fallout from the pandemic on the most vulnerable people in the Lancashire town. Video, 00:03:41, Music video and wedding filmed at erupting volcano, George Floyd: How Black Lives Matter protesters feel now. "It was like looking into the sun and I was paralysed by it.". I was lost, trying to keep my pain down, hide it. I wanted to die, I'd had enough.". Welcome to Church on the Street. (Photo: BBC News) A pastor in Burnley, England distributing food to the local community has spoken of "unprecedented and upsetting" levels of need after nearly a year of coronavirus. Mick was also leading a double life - he had a wife and three children. Mick had been very close to his 20-year-old sister Ann. But these people were giving me essentials, because they saw I had nothing. "She came last Saturday and she broke down and told me her daughter had killed herself.". A pastor in Burnley distributing food to the local community has spoken of "unprecedented and upsetting" levels of need after nearly a year of coronavirus. Debt has crippled them. Video, 00:01:37, Inside the Delhi hospital at breaking point, The real-life nomads of Nomadland. Two weeks ago, millions of people watched Pastor Mick Fleming and Father Alex Frost on BBC News, feeding and clothing the poor in Burnley. "A couple of day's food makes a massive difference to us," they tell me. Both men wept on … A 10-year old boy was asking for a freezer on behalf of his mum. And I've just found out that what I thought was two hernias is not, it's one huge hernia. My new home was Burnley psychiatric unit. I was good at my job. Read about our approach to external linking. But Fr Alex wants others to find a longer-term answer to the issues exposed by the coronavirus in places like Burnley. Mick guided the man in his 20s to two volunteer nurses, positioned away from the group for privacy. But the years of lies took their toll. As Mick left, he promised to collect her painkillers prescription later in the day. I wanted to stand out. © 2021 BBC. Poverty and the Pandemic: Burnley's Front Line. "There's no chocolate in mine." Mick would sort it. There were around 20 people here, from their 20s and upwards. It was brutal, just so direct. But it was my path to God - and all the way to 2020 and the pandemic. "But nobody's been and done it [in] six months. She said that without them she, too, would have taken her life. First the homeless, some carrying their belongings in bin bags. Then more people came - some in cars, most on foot. The Issa brothers' £5m project will be an "impressive facility", a councillor says. "I'm supposed to have blood tests done once a month for my cancer count," she said. Some were so in need, their freezing fingers burned as they touched the food, but it didn't stop them and not a single tray was dropped. Six bullets, spring loaded, it never fails.". News People Church on the Street: Kind-hearted global donors raise thousands in just days to support most vulnerable in Burnley More than £25,000 has been raised in just a matter of days for vulnerable people in need following an urgent appeal by Burnley charity Church on the Street. Amazon police battle to protect Brazil rainforest. She's 55, lives alone and suffered terribly with her mental health during lockdown. I can't be operated on, because my lungs won't survive it.". Across England the death rate from all causes, between April and June this year in the most deprived areas of the country, was nearly double that of the least deprived areas. "Before I could open my mouth, the front door opened. News People New Burnley business pledges support to Church on the Street charity and grassroots football team A charity, that helps to provide food and support for Burnley's most vulnerable, and an amateur football team, are being championed by a new business that has been launched in the town by an entrepreneurial duo. We believe that every human being, regardless of whether they are housed or unhoused, des "I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been," Cash sang. The government says it is committed to reducing deprivation and has spent £100bn on welfare support this year. Ten years ago, he befriended a homeless alcoholic outside a take away. Mick took the gun, pressed it to his chin, still wrapped in plastic, and pulled the trigger. "I was a drug runner and debt collector. A church in Burnley has seen âunprecedented demandâ for help during the pandemic. Sitting in that car it was like I was crying for him, that child, the boy I was, and the life I could have had.". I started taking more drugs. The boots of two cars opened and the waft of the hot food hits you first. Video, 00:02:57Amazon police battle to protect Brazil rainforest, 24 hours with the only doctor on a malaria ward. It was the day after the car park session, and Pastor Mick was in his white van, driving through the hilly mill town's stunning scenery, from the sandstone terraces to the prefab bungalows in the villages on the edge of Burnley. But everything changed over two days at the beginning of February 1977. I remember the moment of pure silence, quickly pierced by the screams from my mother, howling like an animal.". First up was Pete, his wife, and son. He watched the doctors and nurses trying desperately to resuscitate my sister.". Next was a food parcel for Sheila, in her late 50s. It's so upsetting.". An issue with the family's benefits meant payday loans and financial crisis. But the fear is the challenges now facing our poorest communities will remain, long after this pandemic is over. 37-41 Grey Street, Burnley, Lancashire ( Anjaman-e-Muhibban-e-Ahel-e-Bait Hussainia Mosque (Burnley, Lancashire): BB10 1BA Shah Jalal Masjid & Madrassa Burnley 112 Burn Street I never expected to live long - genuinely I always believed I'd die young. The organiser of a car park church worship in Bulwell has vowed to fight a £10,000 fine issued by police for running the event. Video, 00:02:59George Floyd: How Black Lives Matter protesters feel now. "Hyperthermia had kicked in with everything with me.". But then I looked again at the children, again at their faces, their blonde hair, innocent kids. © 2021 BBC. By this point in my life, I had been arrested for attempted murder, kidnapping, firearms offences. (Image: Burnley Borough Council) Church Street. I would use any drug, and always alcohol.". The oldest street in Blackburn town possibly dates back to the medieval period, when the parish church on the banks of the Blakewater river was mentioned in the Domesday Book. media caption A church in Burnley has seen an "unprecedented need" for help during the pandemic 3. A Burnley perspective on news, sport, what's on, lifestyle and more, from your local paper the Burnley Express. In the 90s, there were two serious attempts on Mick's life, one a drive-by at traffic lights, the other a home invasion that went wrong. Strangely, Mick says, he felt at home in the unit. Mick was born during England's 1966 World Cup-winning year into a Burnley working-class family. It was the second week in a row she had been here. Many were desperate, huddling around two cars belonging to the volunteers, looking for warmth and food. The Church on the Street Ministries helps and support people affected by homelessness and addiction. Across a dual carriageway, in the distance, they started to arrive. St Matthews Church Burnley is in the heart of the community it serves. The BBC News … We next found Pastor Mick praying with a woman outside St Matthew's. Video, 00:02:57, Amazon police battle to protect Brazil rainforest, 24 hours with the only doctor on a malaria ward. You could see the shape of the gun, no DNA or prints would be left behind. But his life hasn’t always been this way. Based at St Matthews St in Burnley the church is a stunning place to worship God. "She was trapped inside her house, imagine being trapped inside your own mind. Video, 00:03:10The real-life nomads of Nomadland, Music video and wedding filmed at erupting volcano. Viv had only recently got out of hospital, and was painfully thin. "He was another drug dealer, just like me.". "I don't want to be a drain on the system that's already dying, because I'm already dying, people need the NHS," she said. He walked out of his room where he had been crying, went downstairs, and looked his Mum straight in the eye. "I became hardened to death. He choked on his own vomit, my other friend suffered a methadone overdose at 17. He visited around 10 homes - and he does this every day, seven days a week. It's a privilege to serve the people of Burnley. A single parent needed a bed for her child. People in Burnley, though, just thought he was self-employed, working out of town. A life disfigured in 48 hours. I wanted to know what motivates him to keep going. Church on the Street Ministries in Burnley, helps supply food and provisions for the homeless. Burnley: ‘Children ripping bags open for food ... - BBC News Many were so touched by their obvious compassion that they … I could hear my pulse as if it was in my head. At least 40 people were here now, of all ages. "The need is absolutely colossal," said Mick. Not far from the centre of Burnley, Mick visited the imposing Gothic-style St Matthew's Anglican Church to see Father Alex Frost. It was a strict upbringing. 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Cots community Hub is open to all members of the children 's hands frantic as! It serves door opened did n't want to live long - genuinely I always believed I 'd see going. Working out of his room where he had two kids with him, the local Council 's spending was... In a wheelchair, he promised to collect her painkillers prescription later in the North West of England responsible!
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