We want to thank you for your contributions in creating warm space for our communities across Dorset and Wilts.
One church who participated in the Warm Spaces scheme was St Peter ad Vincula Church, Broad Hinton, who was awarded Warm Spaces funding, from the national Church. They used the money from the fund to pay for heating, freeing up previously set aside funds to buy a table and 6 chairs.
The church held two Warm Spaces events, with lunch, games and then tea and cake. It was attended by nine people on the first occasion and three on the second.
One of the organisers of the event said: "It got us all looking for people in the village who would benefit from it, and the fact that we did not find many was good news. On the first occasion we relied on advertising and posters, and on the second occasion we went and spoke to people."
Was it useful or not?
Church members responded with a resounding: "Yes".
Hosting a Warm Spaces allowed the church to be mentioned in the village news, it gave impetus to get a kitchen area in the church, it highlighted a heating problem, it raised the profile of the church in the area, it got the church working together, and opened conversation with the wider congregation.
The organisers concluded: "Yes, it was useful, not in the way we expected, but in its re-energising effect on the church. The heating energy seems to have leaked out into a general spiritual uplift!"