Every year, lifelong friends James and Tom visit a Christian conference in Scarborough as part of the team that makes the event happen. In April 2016, James and Tom were sharing a room together and one of their chats, extending late into the night, got onto the topic of the God-given calling to help those in need. Both shared visions being able to serve the community in a new and better way – providing high quality support, with relationships at the core. Not just putting a plaster over the problem, but instead addressing the root causes of issues to bring about sustainable change. The idea behind Number 11 was born.

Five months later (September 2016), James decided to take a year out from his medical studies to focus on getting Number 11 off the ground. He talked and talked until most people became sick of listening, but the following months of conversations with friends, families, charities, councils, members of the community, churches, builders, funders and more helped turn an idea into something that could become a reality.

Swan Bank Church agreed to provide a building to host the project and more and more people were getting on board. Number 11 grew from an idea, sparked by conversations in a run-down McDonald’s and shabby Scarborough hotel room, into a movement of people desperate to bring hope and restoration to their community. There was just one problem… a £350,000 shortfall.