CAPTION: St Disen's Church at Bradninch are offering a Warm Welcome to the community with hot soup, refreshment, WiFi and the opportunity to connect with one another.
Hot Water Bottles and Hot Food as Devon’s Churches Offer a Winter Warm Welcome
St Mary’s Church in Lifton, near Tavistock, is just one of the churches across Devon which is trying to help people through the cost of living crisis this winter.
The profits from their annual Christmas fayre are going into a new community assistance fund, which will be used to give emergency financial help to those living in the parish who are in need.
Help will be given in the form of vouchers for the local shop, which can be used to buy food and household good and top-up electricity key cards.
There is also a community food larder in the church porch, so people can easily drop-off donations or pick up items they need.
Rev Philip Conway, Priest in Charge of St Mary’s said, “When you drive through our village and surrounding area it is easy to forget that its beauty hides the difficulties locals face due to the cost of living crisis.
“A parish church is there to serve everyone who lives within the parish. It is a privilege, and our duty, to serve our community in the best way we can. With the current circumstances, this is one way where we will be able to make some difference in difficult times.”
St Mary’s will be working as part of a community volunteer project to provide a community warm space this winter. They are one of a number of churches to sign-up to the national Warm Welcome initiative which enables people can search online for a warm space near them.
Hot food and hot water bottles
St Disen’s Church in Bradninch, near Cullompton, is offering a warm space in the community hall from 9am until 3pm every Wednesday. The project is supported by the town council.
They are serving homemade soups, hot drinks and cakes, with the option to takeaway available. Their warm space has Wi-Fi, an assortment of magazines and books, and offers time for people to chat together or have a quiet space.
Rev’d Hazel Britton, Curate at St Disen’s Church in Bradninch, said, “warm welcome is a brilliant idea for this season, and we have been meeting new people every week.
“People are staying longer and longer everyday, with people coming in at 9 and staying until 3. It’s been wonderful to get to know new people in the community.
“This is a great opportunity for the church to reach out to the community during this time.”
The Ottery St Mary congregation is keeping warm following a donation of hot water bottles.
Ottery Saint Mary Church has been ensuring its congregation is kept warm by handing out hot water bottles donated by a generous member of the congregation. People arriving at the church are offered a hot water bottle if they would like one.
Alongside this, the church has teamed-up with the local library which is a registered Warm Welcome space. It will be available one day a week throughout January and February, and there will be a team of volunteers from churches in Ottery who will provide hot drinks and soup to anyone needing to warm up.
Wednesdays: Welcome and Warmth, known as W3, is a community initiative in the Teign Valley Community Hall in Christow to provide a warm space this winter. All are welcome to come along for a free warm drink, to join in on crafts, play cards or engage in conversation.
W3 runs alongside other community initiatives, such as the Teign Valley Larder which helps those struggling with the cost of living crisis to access food and household essentials. They also offer children’s clothes and food supermarket vouchers.
Anonymous Giving in the Community
Kingsteignton Church have circulated a two-part form to their local community to help ensure no one finds themselves in the position of having to choose between eating or heating this winter.
Part one of the form is to be filled out if someone finds themselves in financial need, which will then be passed on to the vicar. Part two of the form gives those the opportunity to pledge a sum of money weekly, monthly or as a one off; or to give a weekly meal or help towards Christmas lunch.
Once forms have been submitted, a member of clergy, churchwardens or treasurers will contact the person regarding their request to discuss their need and match it up with the pledge options available.
Monetary gifts will be passed through the treasurer to ensure the giver and receiver remain anonymous to one another. Food gifts are negotiated directly between the two parties, after seeking permission to share the need.
Thirty Churches in Plymouth Offering Warm Spaces
Transforming Plymouth Together is also collaborating with Warm Welcome. So far over 30 churches in the city have signed-up to offer warm spaces.
Some Plymouth churches are also offering hot meals, children’s activities, movies and quiet dedicated work stations in their warm hubs.
The Winter Warm Packs include a winter essentials, such as a hot water bottle, thermals, instant soup, TPT advice booklets and more.
Transforming Plymouth Together has also created Winter Warm packs, packed with essentials to support those struggling with the cost-of-living Crisis. Read our story on the Winter Warm packs here.
To find out how you can register with Warm Welcome or to find a local hub near you, please see the website.
For advice on reducing energy bills, funding and support available, and ideas about how to provide a warm welcome to your communities this winter, please visit our Energy Advice and Support Hub.
