Norwich church joins 900 giving a warm welcome
A Norwich city centre church has been providing a warm welcome, plus some food, drink and conversation to visitors since January, one of almost 900 churches to do so across the country.
Regardless of whether the sun is shining or snow is falling, every Thursday throughout the year since January, St Giles-on-the-Hill church invites anyone keen to enjoy some food, drink and conversation into a warm, friendly space.
Around 80 people attended during the first few weeks of the project, while in the warmer months between 20 and 30 regulars have still been stopping by. Grant funding, including from the council, has supported the scheme in its inaugural year.
Thankfully, St Giles is not alone in providing this kind of vital community outreach. The Church of England reported at the beginning of 2025 that 485 of its churches had signed up to the Warm Welcome Spaces campaign, while almost 400 were part of the Places of Welcome network, coordinated by Church Urban Fund.
Rev Melissa Snell, Assistant Curate with the St Giles benefice, helps deliver the Hot Spot sessions alongside Fr Alaric Lewis, Rev Annie Blyth and several generous volunteers.
Reflecting on the project’s first year, Melissa said: “It’s the highlight of my week and we have such a great mix of people. It’s grown organically; you just put out the food and drink and offer a space to chat and they come.
“It’s become such a lovely close-knit group that half a dozen people from the Hot Spot came to my priesting at Norwich Cathedral which was great.
“What’s formed is a community. It’s not ‘the church’ putting something on. We all get involved and people have taken ownership of it. If a member of the team is away, there’s always someone here to help.”
Hot Spot has also been incredibly rewarding for those who volunteer as part of the weekly scheme. Lesley Worne, one of the church’s team of dedicated volunteers, explained: “I love this church. On Thursdays it’s nice to chat to other people who have different lifestyles and experiences to you, which don’t always get to do after a service. I really get to know people better at the Hot Spot.”
People have come to the initiative from a wide range of backgrounds and with lots of expertise to offer. Jonathan Kemp, for example, visited the church when Hot Spot first began after hearing about the scheme in his local library. He is now lending his culinary experience to the project, with over a decade of work and volunteering in kitchens.
Welcoming new faces to church has been a joy for members of St Giles on-the-Hill, such as Janet Hopkins who believes Hot Spot has added greatly to the life of the church: “It’s about opening up to other people and lifestyles. We’re showing we do care for our community in practical way as well. After all, this is their church, it’s available to them. There are various acts of kindness going on all the time.
“People here are so grateful for Father Alaric, Rev Melissa and Rev Annie – the whole team. They’re so committed and will do anything for anyone.”
Hot Spot opens its doors every Thursday between 10.30am and 1pm at St Giles-on-the-Hill Church, Upper St Giles Street, Norwich, NR2 1AB.
Pictured above, some of the team behind the St Giles Hot Spot.
Article courtesy of Diocese of Norwich