Steve and Helen Walker helped to plant Hope Community Church Middleton (HCCM), Leeds in 2020. They have one son called Theo.

HCCM is part of Medhurst Ministries and passionate about the gospel going out to their local neighbourhood.

Middleton is in the 10% of the most deprived areas of the country. The estates in the Middleton Park ward (around 30,000) have become densely populated and have seen dramatic increases in poverty, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. In 2019, Middleton was designated one of England’s 50 ‘left behind neighbourhoods’ in a study by The Local Trust – the only area identified as such in Leeds.

There is very little gospel witness in the area and most HCCM members have intentionally moved to Middleton in order to share the good news of Jesus. The church has a Sunday gathering and began a tots group to meet a need in the area, whilst there are many gospel opportunities through friendships and relationships that now exist.