Report from Lesley Bovington,
Places of Welcome Facilitator for the Lichfield Diocese
Our work was supported throughout the year by NHS Charities; this funding ends in
June 2024, from which point the work of the Strengthening Communities team,
including our support for Places of Welcome, will be fully funded by Lichfield
Diocese.
Statistical highlights for April 2023 to March 2024 include:
A total of 513 sessions delivered by 15 Places of Welcome.
A total of 14,600 attendances by community members.
An overall age range of guests attending of 8 weeks to 92 years old.
A total of 11,650 volunteering hours, from 468 volunteers.
17% of the Places of Welcome volunteers are former guests.
Other highlights of the year here included:
The Places of Welcome in a Lichfield received (as a group) the Support
Staffordshire Volunteering (Teams) Award in June 2023
Ongoing liaison with Support Staffordshire's countywide buddying scheme
(funded by Staffs County Council) resulted in a new volunteer buddy for The
Lichfield Garrick Place of Welcome.
All Places of Welcome were offered the following training:
- Web of Poverty and Money Help Hub training (Adam Edwards, CUF) in
October 2023
- Supporting People through Loss and Grief (Ian Leech, Support
Staffordshire) in December 2023
- Your Local Pantry information session (James Henderson, Your Local
Pantry) in February 2024.
The Lichfield Garrick was the first theatre in the country to join the Places
of Welcome network (June 2023).
Bishop Rob Wickham (National Chair of the Church Urban Fund) toured
several of our Lichfield Places of Welcome during his visit to the diocese in
December 2023.
Phil Hewitt, Chair of Staffs County Council included a visit to the Place of
Welcome when he called in at Lichfield on his tour of the county's libraries.
We continue to work closely with partnerships and initiatives across the Diocese of
Lichfield area, to benefit all Places of Welcome, including the Staffs & Stoke
Integrated Care Board, social prescribers, local authorities and services, community
mental health teams and services, PCSOs, food banks, clothes banks and other
agencies and organisations that support the most vulnerable and socially isolated
amongst us.
Lesley.bovington@lichfield.anglican.org
07704 485332
Places of Welcome - Diocese of Lichfield (anglican.org)