Warm Spaces open up across Westminster Diocese

White City Parish, London

Source: Caritas Westminster

Seventeen parishes and one project from across the Diocese have been running 'warm spaces' in their centres, providing a warm and friendly welcome to members of the local community, with refreshments - and in some cases, a hot meal. We recently asked them for an update and were heartened to hear how they have become spaces which are bringing people together.

"The project has given a wonderful variety of young families from the neighbourhood a welcoming, safe and creative time and space to come together and enjoy lots of fun activities. Last Tuesday a local Syrian father was teaching his two young sons to play chess on one table, while a Ukrainian family were preparing a variety of pancake fillings with an Italian family on the next table while the parish priest was playing dominoes with a Muslim mother and daughter at another table! All to the joyful background noise of an ecstatic group of children aged 5 - 8 playing their own version of football in the main part of the hall! There wasn't a mobile phone or other device in sight!"

Fr Richard Nesbitt, Our Lady of Fatima, White City

"Glen, (not his real name) a parishioner and a wheelchair user, has come every single week, even during the snowy spell before Christmas. His journey is not easy as he has quite a distance to travel by bus but every Wednesday, shortly after opening time, he is there. Glen says he enjoys the company and that his Warm Space visit gives him a focus for his day. Our volunteers gain much from the sessions too, they enjoy good company and learn from all the others who come to the Warm Space. The Wednesday afternoon sessions are a very happy and relaxed time for all."

Rosemary Kilbride, St Paul the Apostle Wood Green SVP

Some parishes are running their warm space as part of a local Churches Together initiative, with several churches committing to opening their doors on different days of each week. This is a clear example of Christian unity in action.

Across the UK, more than 2500 churches, faith and community groups have joined the 'Warm Spaces' initiative to help people struggling to pay their bills this winter.