Newsletter 5th October: Happy Anniversary

Last Thursday was the first anniversary of the St. Martin’s Café. It’s been an eventful year and one which I have enjoyed immensely. It started off as a tentative venture, trying to reach out to the lonely or isolated people on our surrounding estates. It was daunting at first with very small numbers of visitors. Then there was the heart thumping anxiety of having to do a presentation for the Bishop and his team. (They actually turned out to be delightful and very supportive.) Next was the challenge of writing an article for “The Park Hall Pioneer” to publicise the café. Numbers of visitors were already slowly increasing, but once Jane Quinn started her Tai Chi classes, numbers soared. People have been reunited with old friends and many have found new friends and support. It has become part of their regular social life. The teams of volunteers have been a joy to work with and have brought companionship and pleasure to many people in our community.

When the café was set up, one of the aims was to support “Traidcraft” by using Fair Trade products wherever possible. Not only has this been achieved but since then the idea has been extended further to include the small chocolate stall which we now have every week. This seems very popular with everyone and is helping a good cause.

Our hope for the future is to build bridges between the café and the church. To that end the church has been open every Thursday, during café opening hours, since the end of June. People are welcome to come in, sit quietly, listen to the music, absorb the atmosphere and pray if they wish. It is sad that security worries dictate that our beautiful building has to be locked for so much of the time, as it is an oasis of calm and peace in a busy world. Please pray that through contact with the café, the Christian helpers who serve there and easier access to the church, many will be brought back to faith or encouraged to find out more about our wonderful God.

God bless, Jackie