A Warm Welcome Space reaching out to its community

From November 2022 volunteers have run a Warm Welcome Space at Desborough Baptist Church in north Northamptonshire. People hear about the space from Facebook and Instagram and the Library and other local sites, or just from walking past the space and talking to the volunteers on the door.

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There are two other Warm Welcome Spaces in Desborough: one in St Giles which opens on a Wednesday, and another in the library which is open every day but has a set focus on providing a warm welcome on a Thursday. So, Desborough Baptist Church opens as a Warm Welcome Space on a Tuesday.

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The other day, the Baptist Church had direct contact with 71 people including many who were just walking past. The group connects with people on the door where every week they have two or three volunteers; in the summer there are tables and chairs outside on a paved area with cold drinks and water for dogs. During these colder months, they serve hot chocolate and hand out sweets to passersby.

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It’s not unusual for whoever is on the door to walk across the road to the local Co-op where there is often someone selling The Big Issue, to share a hot drink, food and a chat.

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This particular Warm Welcome Space even opens on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve because they have found that so many people are without family and would otherwise be alone. They provide a Christmas gift for everyone, with a buffet and they sing various Christmas songs. On New Year’s Eve they have a buffet and a quiz and games.

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The focus of the Warm Welcome Space is about community and hospitality, there is literature in the space about the church and faith but nothing is put onto tables, so visitors don’t have to engage with the faith aspect of the space if they don’t wish to.

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Each week the space is staffed by an impressive 13 volunteers, and there are 18 volunteers in total, with three in the kitchen, two on the door and the rest in the space, serving, sitting and talking to visitors, signposting to other services that can help, helping with application forms and phone calls, supporting people whatever they need. At other times, they’re crafting, or playing magnetic chess, Uno and Connect 4.

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“It’s all about hospitality, and walking alongside someone, whatever they’re going through,” a volunteer said.

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The space has links with the Desborough Community Development Trust which can support with particularly high needs cases, and the space benefits from links with local charities who have helped people of all ages from homeless to Isolated.

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The space doesn’t run a food bank, as such, but has a food cupboard it can draw on and they receive donations from the church and community, volunteers then signpost those who need support to the local foodbank and other support services.

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Most of all, the space pulls people from different cultures and backgrounds together. It’s another powerful example of the way a Warm Welcome Space shares warmth and friendship to promote social cohesion, and we’re delighted that Desborough Baptist Church has taken our 100% Pledge to provide a #WarmWelcomeForAll.