First published 29th May 2019

Updated 25th January 2022

Stories!

It's wonderful for our staff to be out and about visiting Places of Welcome again and hearing all the great things they have been up to!

Read their regularly updated blog here.

Over 200 visitors came to the fair, to find out more about the almost 40 voluntary groups that were represented, and how they could get involved in volunteering with them. Wendy, Carrie and Lesley told visitors to the Places of Welcome stand about our groups, especially those based in Lichfield District, and the roles that our wonderful volunteers take on, creating spaces where people feel safe to connect, belong and contribute. They also took the opportunity to network with the other voluntary groups there, exploring opportunities to work together, and for those groups to potentially start their own Places of Welcome groups, too.
Lesley's post is kindly funded by Lichfield District Council, and she was particularly pleased to welcome Cllr Richard Cox, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, and Susan Bamford, Partnerships, Community Safety and Licensing Manager who visited our stand.
Lesley said, "Lichfield Cathedral is such a wonderful space, and such an appropriate place to hold an event that was all about supporting one another and giving to our local communities. We were amazed by the number of visitors, and thrilled to bits with the great conversations we had with people who were interested in volunteering at their local Place of Welcome group - or even in starting a new one!"
If you would like to know more about Places of Welcome in the Lichfield Diocese, please contact carrie.blount@tctogether.org.uk (for Places of Welcome in the Black Country) or lesley.bovington@tctogether.org.uk (for Staffordshire, Stoke-On-Trent and north Shropshire).

Impact

TCT staff support a network of Places of Welcome across the Black Country, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and northern Shropshire. Each venue has at least one coordinator and a team of volunteers.

TCT staff advise and provide support on:

• set up / reopening
• publicity
• volunteers
• hospitality

They also create peer networks for coordinators to learn together and from each other.

Here is some recent feedback:

List updated 2nd December 2021

Newly opened / reopened venues

Black Country

Staffordshire

Burton upon Trent (East Staffordshire)

NEW: Beresford Close Places of Welcome has moved inside for winter and will be at: Burton Boxing Club on Bradmore Road DE13 0GH - Mondays 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Drop in St John's Community Church, High Street, Burntwood, WS7 1LR - Mondays 10:30 - 12:30

REOPENED: Muddy Boots Gardening Project (part of Broadway Social Enterprise), Broadway Social Enterprise, 67 Branston Road, (Behind MIND offices), Burton on Trent, DE14 3BY - Thursdays 10:00 - 12:00

NEW - Queen Street Community Centre Burton, Queen Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs, DE14 3LW - Fridays 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Winshill Neighbourhood Resource Centre, Canterbury Road, Winshill, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE15 0ER - Fridays 09:00 - 11:00 (School Hols 10:00 - 12:00)

REOPENED: Burton Library, Burton-on-Trent DE14 1AH - Tuesdays 14:00 to 16:00

Cannock

NEW: St Aiden's Church, Albert Street, Chadsmoor, Cannock, WS11 5JD - Wednesdays 10:00 to 12:00

REOPENED: Heath Hayes Library, 194 Hednesford Road, Heath Hayes, Cannock, WS12 3AA - Fridays, 10:00 - 12:00

Lichfield District

REOPENED: Martin Heath Hall, Christ Church, Christ Church Lane, Lichfield, WS13 8AY - Mondays 11:00 - 12:30

NEW: Curborough Community Centre (LCGNS), 37 Reynolds Close, Lichfield, WS13 7NY - Mondays 13:00 - 15:00

REOPENED: Curborough Community Centre (volunteers from St Chad's Church), 37 Reynolds Close, Lichfield, WS13 7NY - Tuesdays 10:30 - 12:00

REOPENED: Lichfield Library, Market Street, Lichfield, WS13 6LG - Tuesdays 14:00 - 16:00 but not currently open the first Tuesday of each month.

REOPENED: Wednesday Welcome at St Stephen's Church, 82 Church Lane, Fradley, Lichfield, WS13 8NL - Wednesdays 14:00 16:00

REOPENED: St Anne's Church "Space of Welcome" (Burntwood be a friend tent), Church Street, Chasetown, Burntwood, WS7 3QL - Thursdays 11:00 -12:00 & 12:00 -13:00

REOPENED: Life Church - Lunch Club, Life Church, Netherstowe, Lichfield, WS13 6TS - Thursdays 12:00 - 14:00

REOPENED: Handsacre Methodist Church, Lichfield Road, Handsacre, Rugeley, WS15 4DE - Thursdays 13:00 to 16:00

REOPENED: Drop In St John's Community Church in Burntwood, High St, Burntwood WS7 1LR - Mondays 10:30 to 12:30

REOPENED: Burntwood Library, Sankeys Corner,
Bridge Cross Road, Burntwood, WS7 2BX - Wednesdays 10:00 to 11:00

Newcastle-Under-Lyme

REOPENED: St James The Great, Clayton, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, - Wednesdays, 10:30 - 12:00

REOPENED: St Barnabus Church, Cauldon Ave, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle ST5 8QH - Tuesdays 14:00 to 16:00

Rugeley

NEW: Brereton Community Hub, 101 Armitage Road, Brereton, WS15 1DF - Tuesdays 09:30 - 10:30

REOPENED: St Augustine's Church, Station Road, Rugeley, WS15 2HG - Tuesdays 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Church of the Holy Spirit, Mount Rd, Etching Hill, Rugeley, Staffs WS15 2TL - Tuesdays 11:00 - 13:00

REOPENED: Church of the Good Shepherd, Pear Tree Estate, Hislop Rd, Rugeley, WS15 1LS - Tuesday 12:00 - 14:00

REOPENED: Brereton Community Library, Talbot Road, Rugeley, WS15 1AU - Thursday 9:30 - 12:30

REOPENED: Handsacre Methodist Church, Lichfield Road, Handsacre, Rugeley, WS15 4DE - Thursdays 13:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: St Paul's Methodist/United Reformed Church, Lichfield Street, Rugeley, WS15 2EH - Friday 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Rugeley Library, 12 Anson Street, Rugeley WS15 2BB - Fridays 10.00 to 11.00 (restricted numbers)

South Staffs

REOPENED: Friends of Perton Library, Severn Drive, Perton, WV6 7QU - Mondays 10:30 - 12:00

REOPENED: The Church at Perton, Anders Square, Perton, WV6 7QH - Saturdays 10:30 - 12:00

Stafford

REOPENED: St John The Baptist Church, Westhead Avenue, Littleworth, Stafford, ST16 3RP - Tuesday and Wedneday 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: All Saints Church, Church Road, Lapley, Stafford, ST19 9JS - Thursdays 10:00 - 12:00

NEW: "Glean" at Gnossall Community Library, High Street, Gnossall, Stafford, ST20 - Thursdays 14:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: Rising Brook Community Church, Burton Square, Stafford ST17 9LT - Mondays 09:00 to 11:30

Stone

NEW: Church At The Crossing (part of the Rising Brook group), Station Approach, Stone ST15 8ER - Tuesdays 10.00 to 12.00

REOPENED: Stone Community HUB, Lichfield Street, Stone, ST15 8NA, - Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 10:00 - 13:00

Stoke-on-Trent

NEW: West End Methodist Church and Centre, 405 London Road, West End, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 5AW - Wednesdays 10.00 to 12.00

NEW: Middleport Matters Community Trust, 177-179 Newcastle Street, Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 3QJ - Fridays 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Cheadle Methodist Church, 43 Chapel St, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 1DU Fridays, 10:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Temple Street Methodist Church and Centre, Temple Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4NW - Thursdays 9:00 - 12:00

REOPENED: Fegg Hayes Methodist Church, Fegg Hayes Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 6QR - Thursdays 9:30 - 12:00

Tamworth

REOPENED: Wilnecote Congregational Church, 16 Galscote Lane, Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffs B77 2PH- Wednesdays 14:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: Amington Church (St. Editha's), The Green, Amington, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 4AD - Thursdays 14:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: St. Editha's Church, St Edithas Close, Tamworth, Staffs, B79 7DA - Thursdays 14:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: St Peter's Church, Hawksworth, Off Silver Link Road, Tamworth, Staffs, B77 2HH - Fridays 09:00 -11:00 (term time only)

REOPENED: Tamworth Castle Bowls Club, Ladybank, Tamworth, B79 7NB - Thursdays 14:00 - 16:00

REOPENED: Tamworth Library, Corporation Street, Tamworth, B79 7DN - Thursdays 14:00 - 16:00

Uttoxeter

REOPENED: Craft Group at Renew Church, 67 High Street, Uttoxeter, ST14 7JQ - Tuesdays 19:30 - 20:45

REOPENED: Uttoxeter Heath Community Centre, Holly Road, Uttoxeter, ST14 7DP - Fridays 13:00 - 15:00

Shropshire

NEW: "Open Door" at St Andrew's Church, Church Street, Shifnal, TF11 9AB - Tuesdays 10:30 - 12:30

NEW: "Community Cuppa" at St Andrew's Church, Wallshead Way, Church Aston, Shropshire, TF10 9JG - Wednesday 10:30 - 12:00

REOPENED: St John's Church, Church Street, Ightfield, Shropshire, TF9 3RS, Tuesdays 10:30 - 12:00

REOPENED: St Oswald's Parish Church, The Parish Centre, Broadwalk, Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SY - Tuesdays 10:30 - 12:30

REOPENED: Coffee and Co., St John's Church, Vicarage Lane, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, SY10 7RG - Thursdays 10:30 - 14:30

Telford

NEW: One Parish Telford, New Church Road, Christ Church, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1JX - Wednesday 08:30 - 10:30

REOPENED: Holy Trinity, Church Road, Wrockwardine Wood, Telford, TF2 7AH - Wednesdays 13:00 - 14:00

Places of Welcome in a nutshell!

(a 1 minute video)

What are 'Places of Welcome'?

Places of Welcome are a growing network of local community groups providing their neighbourhoods with places where all people feel safe to connect, belong and contribute

Start your own Place of Welcome

TCT is proud to work with Together Network and Near Neighbours colleagues across the country to help groups become Places of Welcome and to promote the network.

We help to set up new venues in:

• Dudley
• Walsall
• Wolverhampton
• Sandwell
• Staffordshire
• The Potteries
• Northern Shropshire

We aim to create a movement of welcome and hospitality for all in these areas.

Interested to find out more about Places of Welcome, or want help setting one up?

Please get in touch with one of our team.

Places of Welcome all share 5 values, that all begin with ‘P’

PLACE

An accessible and hospitable building, open at the same time every week

PEOPLE

Open to everyone regardless of their circumstances or situation, and staffed by volunteers

PRESENCE

A place where people actively listen to one another

PROVISION

Offering free refreshments (at least a cup of tea and a biscuit) and basic local information

PARTICIPATION

Every person will bring talents, experiences and skills that they may be willing to share locally

Our Partners

We are delighted to be working with a number of partners who support the Places of Welcome network across the Black Country, Staffordshire and northern Shropshire. We are particularly thankful for our funding partners:

• The Community Foundation for Staffordshire
• The Eveson Charitable Trust
• Lichfield District Council
• Walsall for All

Learn more about our partnership with Lichfield District Council in this video below from August 2019:

Loneliness Awareness Week 2021

As part of #LonelinessAwarenessWeek, our friends from Trent and Dove Housing have made this fab film about their Places of Welcome UK 🎥