Churches across Surrey and Hampshire are opening their doors during Warm Welcome Week to offer free, inclusive spaces as demand for support continues to grow.

Warm Welcome Week, which runs from Monday to Sunday, January 19 to 25, encourages people to seek out local venues providing warmth, connection and practical help during the coldest and loneliest time of the year.

The Diocese of Guildford is urging residents to look to their local churches, many of which have long provided warm spaces and wraparound support aimed at alleviating poverty and isolation.

People can find nearby Warm Welcome Spaces, including churches, via the national Warm Welcome Spaces hub or through local council websites.

Church of England churches taking part locally include St Mary’s Church, Ash Vale, and St Martin’s Church, Camberley.

At St Mary’s, the Friday community café offers hot drinks and food alongside emergency gas and electricity vouchers, warm packs and electric blankets.

Alex Sanderson, project manager for the church’s community outreach, said: “We have done a lot of work to connect the dots with other projects to help the community.

“We run a ‘Hear Here’ hearing aid clinic once a month at the church, so we can easily signpost people between initiatives.

“The library service digital inclusion team visit St Mary’s every four to six weeks to help people become more confident doing things online.

“We have a wonderful group of regulars. All the volunteers are amazing and the food they make is delicious. We have also had some very moving prayer moments, with people asking for prayer and Revd Neil bringing the Sunday readings to the Friday café as a talking point.”

St Mary’s also partners with other Christian denominations to visit asylum seekers housed in a nearby hotel, offering hospitality, creative activities and opportunities to practise English.

A few miles north, St Martin’s Church, Camberley, is also working with partner organisations to provide holistic support.

Revd Chris Richardson, the vicar, worked with Surrey County Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council to establish the church as a Warm Welcome Space.

He said the scheme builds on what churches have always offered — “a space where people will be welcomed and given hospitality”.

St Martin’s runs multiple community sessions, including three Warm Welcome Spaces, supporting an average of 130 people each week.

As part of its Wednesday café, visitors can enjoy a warm space, hot drinks, fresh fruit and cakes, while also accessing free coats, blankets, food, hygiene products and fuel vouchers.

The work is supported by donations, grant funding and partnerships with local charities, including Citizens Advice, which also attends the Wednesday café.

Revd Richardson said: “The level of need has definitely increased and has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

“In addition to general poverty, we have people coming in who are desperately lonely and really value the company and friendship these spaces offer.

“While these spaces are open to everyone, of all faiths or none, we are seeing people who are searching spiritually and open to conversations about Christianity and attending church services on a Sunday.”

For information on local venues, visit here.

The Diocese of Guildford is one of 42 dioceses covering England. It includes 156 parishes, 82 church schools and several hundred social and community projects. The area covers two-thirds of Surrey, parts of north-east Hampshire, one parish in Sussex and one in Greater London.