STUDENTS at a school in Caversham are lending a hand to help keep members of the community warm and fed.
Pupils and staff at Queen Anne’s School are among the volunteers at the Welcome Warm Space in Caversham Baptist Church.
It sees support from Churches Together and the Southern Counties Baptist Association, as well as a partnership with the Co-op Foodshare scheme, which means attendees can take away food free of charge if needed.
Amanda Hatfield, Alumni and QAS Community Officer at Queen Anne’s School, said: “Caversham Baptist Church was planning to open a warm space in 2022, which was a really nice initiative.
“And we had a few of our pupils who were looking to get involved, so as the community officer for the school it felt like it was a nice way to be more involved with the local community.
“So they decided to open on Mondays and Fridays, and we offered that some of the pupils would take part on Fridays.
“Then it grew, as quite a few members of staff and our alumni wanted to help too, which was really lovely.
“Then unfortunately it stopped last year- so we’ve started it again this term.”
She explained: “Now there’s been a flurry of interest and lots of new faces, which is exciting and really lovely to see- it’s gone from strength to strength.
“We now also get food donations from the Co-op, which we collect on Thursday night and are available for people to take with them as they need.”
She added that the service was there for all members of the community: “It’s not a church-based thing, as such; you don’t need to be an attendee at the church, as that’s not really what it’s about.
“It’s open to everyone, with homemade food including soup and rolls, so if you’re looking for a bit of company and something nice to eat, come along.”
The combination of a warm space and community pantry is more vital than ever as plummeting temperatures and continued rises in the cost of living mean people are struggling to cover food and heating costs.
West Berkshire Food Bank manager Fran Chamings recently explained that the numbers of people needing to use foodbanks had increased four-fold during the pandemic and had remained steady.
Reading Borough Council lists around 20 different warm spaces as of January 2024, after the first ever dedicated warm bank in the town was opened in 2022.
The Warm Welcome Space at Caversham Baptist Church, South Street, is open from 10am until 1.30pm every Friday.
Full details available via: cavershambaptistchurch.org.uk
