St John’s Methodist Church, High Street, Bangor
'Come and Talk'About St John’s Methodist Church, High Street, Bangor
We’re a small church in Bangor, a cathedral city in North West Wales just across the Menai Straits from the island of Anglesey. Our church is made up of Methodist people, who have been with us for decades, international families, many of whom have come to Bangor to study at the University and some of whom have stayed, and then a gloriously eclectic group of people looking to find some shape and purpose to their lives. The church buildings are well used by the community and we already had events with a focus on helping people who were feeling isolated and lonely. We are now setting up a venture called ‘Come and Talk’ using a public space outside our church called Mason’s Yard. Shoppers often sit there and people are always passing by, so we will train up volunteers to sit out and invite them to ‘come and talk’ with us. Simply that, but who knows where it may lead?
St John's Methodist Church High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 1NR, GB
Service Eligibility
Our ‘Come and Talk’ scheme is potentially aimed at anyone who wants to take the opportunity to talk to someone who is ready to listen. This could develop in so many directions but at this stage it is essentially doing two things: giving people that time and space that often they don’t have and giving us a chance to engage with the real needs of people rather than guessing what they might be.
Information for Volunteers
We are open to people from the area who are attracted by this very open-ended kind of volunteering and who have the ability to get into Bangor under their own steam. We are establishing a group of volunteers who are comfortable working within a church setting and are prepared to undergo some training to help them engage in conversation with strangers. The kind of qualities we are looking for will include empathy, listening skills, compassion, resilience. The ability to make cups of tea and coffee will also be helpful. Our aim at this early stage, once we have a viable team, is to identify a couple of times this summer when we can trial this kind of befriending scheme and see how the project develops.
Age Groups
Young People (18-25), Adults (25-65), Older Adults (65+)Themes
Care Experienced People, Carers, Dementia/Memory loss, Domestic Abuse, Drugs/Alcohol, Ethnic Minority Communities, Homeless, Learning Disabilities, Lone Parent Families, Mental Health, Offenders/Ex-Offenders, Refugees/Asylum Seekers, Sexuality/Gender Identity, Disability, Older PeopleRegions
Country: Wales
Other Information
Type of Befriending: Face to face befriending which takes place in the home or community
Who can refer: Self Referrals Accepted