Becoming part of the fabric of its community

Kerry Wilding is part of a team of 12 volunteers who run a Warm Welcome Space in the Parish of St John Henry Newman, Morecambe, Lancashire. They set up the space in January 2023, in the very early days of the Warm Welcome Campaign, because Father Darren had heard about the project and wanted to support less fortunate people in the community.

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Initially, the space was for people without a fixed home. “As more people found out about it, we just opened our doors for anybody who wants to benefit from a bit of community spirit,” says Kerry, adding: “A lot of people are looking for social interaction with people. They might have lost friends in Covid, so we’re open for anybody who needs a hot meal, or a brew and a bit of company.”

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The space opens every Wednesday afternoon, and has 12 to 15 people visiting on a typical Wednesday. “We have our regulars, and some dip and in and out,” says Kerry.

The space has already benefitted from National Lottery funding and is applying again. Part of that application process has involved getting quotes from visitors about what the space means to them. “One regular said: ‘I was a bit cautious when I first came in’, because we’re attached to a church, ‘but you’re not judgmental,’ and we’ve got some fantastic volunteers.”

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Even the volunteers benefit, as we hear from so many of our spaces. One volunteer can no longer help out because of health issues, so she comes along now just to chat to other space users, “and she gets a lot out of that”.

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Another woman has just had a baby – she still comes to the space but has use of a separate room where she can feed her baby, “and baby is thriving. We’ve also linked her in to the local playgroup,” Kerry says.

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The volunteers – 12 in all, on a rota with three or four helping out each week – take it in turns to cook for space visitors, and some have been on food hygiene courses with Kerry booked into hers in the next few weeks.

The space has been running all year “because people still wanted it”, and is now gearing up for winter.

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Morecambe is another example of a great community response, created in a crisis but now part of the fabric of its local community. Thank you for everything you are doing.

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