St Luke’s Church launches new drop in centre for Downham
The Front Room Project
Empowering and valuing one another through friendship and kindness.
Following the closure of the 999 Club in Downham on the 23rd December, its members asked whether the Church could help. Many of the people involved are vulnerable and manage to live independently because of the support they get from being part of a club. The Church agreed to open a Day Centre from the 6th of January so that there would be no break in provision.
On the 7th December St Luke’s Downham launched a project to empower and value people living in this part of Lewisham by giving them a space in which to be heard, to make friends and to celebrate their stories. The project is turning space in our Church into a “Front Room”, a comfortable space for all sorts of work within our community, including an existing Toddler group, Senior Social Club and a drop in centre, opening on January 6th with family work, youth work, art and drama sessions starting later in the year.
The Front Room project responds to the needs of vulnerable people. The Church is a comfortable and welcoming place for the whole community. A new drop in Club is an important aspect of that, alongside our toddler group, our Senior Social Club and our children and youth work. It is also a means of celebrating the stories of our community, through art classes and exhibitions, drama club and concerts, building on a tradition of Concerts for the local community, and starting with an exhibition of the work of local artist David Hardy from the 6th of January.
Revd Patrick Jordan, the previous Vicar of St Luke’s said “When I visit my friends, their front room is somewhere I can relax and be myself, that’s what I want at St Luke’s, a relaxed comfortable place, where whoever you are, your welcome your amongst friends and you don’t have to be on your best behaviour.”
The Front Room Project is supported by Lewisham Council and by the Co-Operative and has previously been supported by the Mark Wyndham Trust.
Donations can be made to St Luke’s DCC (Front Room Project)
Front Room Project, St Luke’s Church, Northover, BR1 5JR
For further information contact Rev Nick Walsh on 07774516204 or email revnickwalsh@gmail.com