Having run a community cafe for many years, St Mark’s Road Baptist Church has long been a welcoming space in the community. While the community cafe offers lunch, the welcoming spaces funding the church received from the council allowed them to offer an evening meal completely free of charge.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees shared a video last week on the contribution made by the 100 community venues who participated in the Welcoming Spaces scheme and the council are looking into ways in which some of the regular activities which began with the initiative can continue into the future.
The welcoming spaces initiative not only helps people to get to know each other but also is helpful for those understanding the services available, such as food banks and local debt or housing advice services. This has been the case with St Judes, a women’s only welcoming space which, alongside a free Friday lunch and food parcel, women can find out where they can get support.
