Bridlington church celebrates anniversary of their popular warm spaces scheme that supports the community

Volunteers from St John’s Burlington Church and Sewerby Women’s Institute, along with warm spaces attendees, celebrate the scheme's first anniversary.

Over the past 12 months, the dedicated church volunteers, supported by members of Sewerby Women’s Institute (SWI), have served up a mountain of bacon butties and toasted teacakes along with gallons of tea and coffee.

They’ve also distributed donations of food and clothing to visitors, as well as signposted people to external agencies for help when needed.

The collaboration between SJB and SWI has resulted in joining forces on other events, including December’s Bridlington Christmas Tree Festival.

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Due to its popularity, the warm spaces scheme, which was originally designed to help locals cope over the winter, continued well beyond its initial three-month trial period.

The sessions are still going strong with many people who called in on Day One still dropping by for a cuppa and a chat, or a game of dominoes.

St John’s Burlington spokesman David Wilcockson said: “Warm Spaces started life as a Government initiative to help people who were struggling in the face of high energy bills.

"The idea was that they could give their heating a few hours off and spend that time in a public building – like our church – where they could not only stay warm but also have something to eat and drink and enjoy some company. I’m proud to say that we were one of the first places in town to open our doors.”

Maria Prchlik for the SWI added: “We’ve tried hard to create a place where the warmth in the room doesn’t just come from the radiators.

"There’s a genuine desire to make everyone feel welcome from the moment they walk in. We’re delighted to be part of such a great piece of community action.”