One day a week during school holidays Bursledon Parish provides a hot meal for families at St Paul’s Church. The scheme started with one mum and child in February 2020 but during the recent Easter holidays church volunteers fed nearly 60 people.
As well as families, the lunch is open to all of the community especially those who are facing challenges such as loneliness and bereavement.
Organiser Bernadette Taylor said, “We live in a very mixed area from £2 million houses, down to rentals on the estate. So, there’s a lot of need out there. There are people here who are lonely or who have had difficulties in the past and find it comforting to be here. There are members of the congregation who have got their own issues, and they like to come here for the weekday company as well as the Sunday company.”
She added, “The families are not necessarily families that come to church but we’re nurturing them and telling them that we’re here for them and that everybody is welcome. We don’t ask any questions, we don’t ask about their income or anything like that. We’re there to reach out to people and to show that we are all loved by God.”
The church works in partnership with the organisation Transforming Lives for Good. It provides volunteer training, safeguarding support and resources for churches to set up lunch clubs.
Families also enjoy activities, games and crafts ahead of a nutritious hot meal, with the Easter team providing a roast dinner with all the trimmings.
Charlotte has been coming with her 7-year-old son Logan and 4-year-old twins since the beginning. She said, “We live in Netley now, but we used to live across the road in a flat. We didn’t get out much and we come here every holiday now. The kids love the activities and make new friends and ask, ‘Is it church this week Mummy’. They’re lovely people here. I first came when I was pregnant with the twins and they’ve literally watched them grow up and they’ve become like a family to me.”
The scheme was started after one member of the congregation, Julie Westhorpe heard about Transforming Lives for Good during a visit to the New Wine festival and felt God telling her that it was needed in the parish.
She said, “I found out about TLG and God put it on my heart to do something about it. There’s a lot of background paperwork that has to be done and things put into place like safeguarding, food hygiene and recruiting volunteers but the team have all got this in their hearts as well and they want to be able to serve the community.”
St Paul’s Church hosted one Make Lunch event in February 2020 just before lockdown. During the pandemic, the church provided hundreds of meals for the community with a team of volunteers delivering them across the area.
Bernadette added, “As a church, I think we’re showing love to people. I think there can sometimes be suspicion about the church, what the church does and how it operates. So, it’s actually getting people into the building to see that we are just normal people, we do normal things and love eating! I feel it’s opening up the church into the community. That’s something that we do a lot in our various activities here and we are part of that outreach.”
The church volunteers say they have seen God at work through the group. Some of those who attend Make Lunch now come along to church including Beth who was baptised last year.
She said, “I wanted to get baptised to have my past washed away and a fresh start. I’ve been going to church for just over a year and everyone has been so lovely and supportive, and they’ve helped me out through a recent tough time. The last time I went to church, before coming here, was probably when I was a little girl and I stopped going for a while, but the church reached out to me when I needed help and it made me want to start coming again. My three children come with me and they really enjoy it.”
Sharon, who comes to Make Lunch, said, “I lost my daughter recently, so I’ve been very lonely and I love coming here. This is my church and I’ve been attending since 2010 when my two girls were little. It’s a nice place to meet and talk to other people. I can relax and be with friends and eat together because otherwise I don’t eat at all as I just can’t face it. All the people have been kind to me since Chloe passed away.”
Her friend Lisa added, “What would we do without this church. It’s absolutely wonderful. The volunteers are fantastic, and I’ve never known anything like it and what they are doing for the children, I think is wonderful. I’m quite humbled by what people do for you. It’s such a beautiful place.”
The church this month introduced a grace before the meal as well as a jar of bible verses. It contains different coloured pieces of paper representing a mood such an anxiety or happiness with a bible verse on each to give encouragement.
Revd John Pawson said, “One of the real blessings and benefits of this sort of club is for those who don’t have transport, who can’t get to the next village or the next part of Southampton. They rely on things that are available on their doorstep such as community centres and churches. This kind of meal is an opportunity to meet up with neighbours and friends, to chill out and not have to worry about making another meal or where the cost of that meal is going to come from, perhaps. Some of the folks here are starting to participate in church and enjoy other things that we offer as well, so that’s really encouraging and a real blessing.”
