As autumn draws in, and with it cooler temperatures, many churches across the diocese are creating a warm welcome for people in their communities.
St Mary’s at Chipping Norton will be opening its doors for the second year running to offer an extension to their regular sessions, like toddler club, where families can enjoy a warming breakfast as well as a heated space.
Emma Kennedy, who works on Community and Outreach at St Mary’s, said: “We recognised that we needed to reach out and help people during the energy crisis. It was really important to speak to people and hear what they wanted.”
The church also offers advice and support, helping people to understand what they are entitled to and how to access that support. A lot of the people using the warm welcome are elderly or come from homelessness and have limited or no access to computers and the internet.
Emma added: “It has been a shock, as we have opened our doors with this warm welcome. It has been a shock to see just how many people are struggling and also feel very lonely in that struggle. This scheme is tackling two things, not just the energy crisis but also tackling loneliness. People who are sat on their own, day-in, day-out. This gives them another place where they can go. It’s wonderful to see a community being built.”
More information on how to give your community a warm welcome is available on our website.