A church which has transformed its hall to tackle poverty and deprivation in its community has been praised by the Archbishop of Wales.
In just eight months, 25 people have volunteered to help run an array of projects at St Gwladys’ Church Hall in Bargoed, and four have gone on to paid work.
The hall is now open every day with activities ranging from toddler groups and a café with soft play, to a night shelter for homeless people, a debt centre and even a school uniform bank.
Thanks to a grant of £227,000 from the Big Lottery Fund last year, the church has been able to take on three paid staff, based in a refurbished office in the hall, to coordinate and support its projects.
The Archbishop, Dr Barry Morgan, had a tour of the hall recently and met staff and volunteers. He was shown around and introduced by the priest-in-charge, the Reverend Jonathan Widdess, who has overseen the hall’s development since arriving two-and-a-half years ago.
Dr Morgan said it was marvellous to see the church engage with the local community.
He said: “The church is doing what the church ought to be doing – meeting community needs and really showing that it cares for the whole person, for their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.
“Christ met people at the point of their greatest needs – he very rarely engaged people in synagogues and temples. He responded to their needs, just as the church here is responding to the needs of this rather deprived community.”
This is the sort of work our local churches do all the time. Well done to the observer for highlighting what sadly has become somewhat unfashionable.