A family atmosphere with free drinks and cakes once again awaits lonely people in King’s Lynn as the Welcome Inn reopens its doors. Becca Rogers reports.
Welcome Inn began about five years ago, following a church vision day at St John’s. We had noticed a lot of loneliness within the community and wanted to respond. The principle is simple: we serve tea, coffee and cakes for free, and sit altogether around a large table to enjoy them. When we first opened, we fitted around a double trestle table, but over the months we had to keep adding.
Before lockdown our regulars included lots of people who live alone, some people struggling with mental health pressures and some who were homeless. The atmosphere is really welcoming, and this seems to help. One wonderful lady keeps a note of everyone’s birthdays, so we have lots of cards and singing too, and we celebrated one couple’s ruby wedding with a surprise party for them. There is genuinely a sense of friendship, or even family, as the main agenda is simply being together.
After 18 months of the pandemic, we are excited to be starting again. There is so much in the news about the increase in isolation due to lockdown, and so we hope that even more people can come and join us. Welcome Inn is genuinely one of my favourite times in the week.
Welcome Inn reopens at 10am on Tuesday October 19 at St John’s Church, Blackfriars Rd, King’s Lynn PE30 1NR.
Image from the Welcome Inn
Eldred Willey, 11/10/2021
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