Church becomes 60th place since lockdown to welcome people in
A project working to create safe places for people to go has hit a special milestone.
The Places of Welcome project has seen a range of venues across the region open their doors to welcome in people for a hot drink, meal, friendly chat and so much more, with churches, community centres and other buildings taking part.
The project, which is being coordinated in the region by Transforming Communities Together, has been celebrating opening its 60th place after the end of lockdown, with St Chad's Church opening a new place of welcome on Tuesday, April 26.
The new Place of Welcome will open every Tuesday between 2pm and 4pm at the church on Connaught Road in Bilston and will provide hot and cold drinks, homemade cakes and a range of activities, as well as a place to chat and meet people.
Diane Woodberry, who started the Place of Welcome, spoke about wanting to reduce isolation for people across the community and how it led to becoming a Place of Welcome.
She said: "After a discussion between myself and our vicar Simon about lessening the isolation that must be being felt by members of our community, he suggested contacting Places of Welcome, which I did with the consent of our Church Council.
"Here we are now at the beginning of something exciting with the hope that we all make new friends, drink plenty of tea or coffee and eat plenty of cake."
Places of Welcome facilitator Carrie Blount said opening up the 60th Place of Welcome felt like a real achievement.
She said: "Before Covid-19, when I started in the role of Places of Welcome Facilitator with Transforming Communities Together, there were just over 60 Places of Welcome across the Black Country.
"Now that we have reached the sixtieth Place of Welcome opening after lockdown, it feels like a real milestone achievement and a promising sign that people are finally being able to come together again, meet new friends, reconnect with old friends and rebuild their communities.
"Diane Woodberry has a real heart for her community and wants to provide a welcoming place for local people to get together.
"She aims to grow the group around the people who come along, and ask them what they would like the group to become.
"However, for the time being, there are a range of things to do, from board games, jigsaws, pool and table football, as well as have a chat, a cuppa and a piece of homemade cake."
To find out more about Places of Welcome, go to tctogether.org.uk/initiatives/pow
