Could your church run a Place of Welcome?

Many of our Members in the Together Network have thriving Places of Welcome within their local areas. Both staff and volunteers within the Together Network offer wide-ranging support to local community groups, from assistance with signing up to ad hoc support. Some take on the role of Local Area Coordinators. Thrive Together Birmingham has been part of the Places of Welcome journey from its very beginning. Thanks to some fabulous partnership working, this wonderful initiative is enabled to run smoothly and has expanded across the country.

Many churches from across the denominations run Places of Welcome for their local communities and we have seen an increasing number of sign ups from other organisations too, both those of different faiths and no faith. Several Places of Welcome are run by local community hubs which place partnership working right at their heart. Recent members of the network include a theatre and a football club while some community centres have been part of the network since its inception. This highlights the collaborative action across the whole VCSE sector in forming this network, which was integrated with CUF via the charity Near Neighbours.

Often people find that something they are already running fits into membership requirements of the network. Venues have their own individual offerings from providing free hot drinks and biscuits and a safe space to engage in conversation and a few simple crafts to running a wide variety of activities including offering a free hot meal. Being part of a national network provides support alongside a sense of belonging to a larger initiative of people helping ensure their local community is a welcoming place to all and valuing those who live there.

We recently ran a webinar specifically for churches interested in starting a Place of Welcome. We recorded it so you can watch it back when you have a chance to sit down with a cup of tea.

If you know of someone interested in setting up a Place of welcome, do direct them to the webinar or the website for more information and if you’re part of a Place of Welcome, why not be in touch to share your story and why you are a member of the network. We’d always love to hear from you.