A CHURCH in Southcote that runs a warm hub to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis has been given some help itself.
The John Sykes Foundation has presented St Matthew’s with a grant to help it open its doors to people who need a safe space, with facilities including charging points and simple meals.
The money will go towards a new cooker to allow hot food to be provided, and ensure the warm hub will be sustainable.
The Church established a Warm Hub, firstly at lunchtime to provide hot drinks, a hot meal, as well as a place for people to feel welcome to help combat loneliness and the cost of living crisis, however after reading many posts on social media they quickly realised the effect the crisis was having not just on the elderly who tended to use the lunchtime hub, but also the wider community who struggle to turn on their heating and to feed their children.
The after-school hub was created to help tackle this, and also for families to be able to interact, make new friends, and for somewhere to go on a weekly basis, free of charge.
Earlier this month, John Sykes, founder and chair of trustees of the foundation, visited the Warm Hub to present a cheque to St Matthew’s vicar, Pads Dolphin, Lynn Everett, volunteers, and the families who attend.
Mr Dolphin said: “We read about families struggling to pay for heating and put food on the table, we wanted to do something to help.
“We were already running a lunchtime and early afternoon warm hub offering soup and bread, but this misses a large part of our community.
“The after-school warm hub meets the needs of all people in the community, young and old, who are finding it hard to keep warm, pay their bills, and may be feeling isolated due to the cost of living crisis.”
He said the scheme has been welcomed by the community, with many saying it was fantastic, and much-needed.
The warm hub is run every Friday by volunteers, with up to 20 people attending during lunchtime and up to 85 people attending after school.
Arts and crafts and games are supplied at the beginning of the session and a hot cooked meal is served, which includes a pudding, as well as toast and spreads for children who may not eat the main meal.
Mr Dolphin said they don’t ask for any money.
“We don’t charge anyone who comes so they have one day a week where they don’t have to feed themselves and their children or put their heating on,” he explained.
“It’s bringing families together and children have somewhere to go where they can play and have fun after school. This means the parents are happy and relaxed.”
And Mr Sykes was pleased that the foundation could support the church’s community work.
“We are profoundly aware of the challenges residents in Reading are facing as a result of the Cost of Living Crisis and we want to do our bit to help,” he said.
“Pads, Lynn, and the wonderful team of volunteers have created a welcoming, warm space for Southcote residents to come together; not just as a warm space this winter, but to provide support and advice on a range of matters, including advice on their health and wellbeing, in such a friendly community atmosphere.
“I was so pleased to visit this very special place and, together with our Board of Trustees, hope to see this project go from strength to strength during these challenging times.”
The John Sykes Foundation welcomes applications for charities and groups for its Cost Of Living Crisis Grant fund. For details, log on to: https://www.johnsykesfoundation.org/cost-of-living-crisis-fund.php
To find out more about St. Matthews and the services they provide, visit: https://www.st-matts.org.uk/
