Volunteers marked one year since the start of their ‘Meet ‘n’ Eat’ sessions last Friday, December 15, which offer light lunches, good company and a warm welcome every Monday and Friday lunchtime at Tŷ Price Community Hall, Overmonnow, Monmouth.

It all began with a call for volunteers last October and nearly 50 people turned up to discuss what could be done to help during the cost of living crisis.

The result was the twice weekly sessions which started on 16th December 2022. Soup, sandwiches, toasties, jacket potatoes, fruit, cakes and drinks are all on offer with no charge.

The helpers come from various churches and groups across the town and others who have asked to get involved. Helpers join one of eight teams and helps at one session per month. They usually serve food for between ten and twenty people at each session – all enjoy the toasties and food although, for some, the company, and a chance to talk to someone are the most useful. Meet ‘n’ Eat is open to all.

Meet ‘n’ Eat is one of many ‘warm space’ projects in Monmouth which provide support somewhere in the town every weekday. An initial grant from Monmouth Town Council helped with equipment and publicity; the Monmouth & District Food Bank have supported the project, and Monmouthshire County Council have helped provide food hygiene and other training. The cost of the food is covered by donations.

Steve Martin, who coordinates the project on behalf of St. Thomas’ Church said, “it has been amazing that so many people have got involved to help provide this much needed service. We know it has made an important difference to many people”.

There have now been 100 Meet ‘n’ Eat sessions and they will continue into next year. There won’t be a session on Christmas Day, but people will be offered the chance to join the Christmas Day meal at Wyesham Christian Fellowship.

One of the volunteers, Anne Langford, has been working for the scheme since its inception.”It’s so nice to meet people from all sorts of organisations, I’m from the Methodist Church and all of the churches in town have got volunteers coming to the ‘Meet ‘n Eat’.

Rev Catherine Haynes added that it’s part of what we do as Christians in response to the gospel and we believe we are here for everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from and to be able to offer a warm space and a hot meal without the obligation of paying anything.

We have been very well supported by Monmouthshire County Council’s Warm Spaces Scheme”.

She explained that the food is given by the food bank at the Baptist Church and some people give donations “and we are able to keep it going through that”.

Cllr Martin Sweeney from Monmouth Town Council popped in to say hello and told the Beacon that although they have not organised any of these events, they are all initiatives independently organised in the community by the Methodist Church, Baptist Church, library and other organisations.

“What we as a town council did was try to pull a bit of information together and make sure it was more widely spread as there was so much being done by the community.

“We are so lucky in Monmouth there are so many fantastic organisations here doing brilliant work, it’s just about making sure that people who need to know about this, find out about this”, he added.

Anyone is welcome to come along to Meet ‘n’ Eat at Tŷ Price Community Hall (opposite St. Thomas’ Church, by the old Monnow Bridge) between 12 noon and 2pm on Mondays and Fridays to enjoy the food and company or to offer to help.