The Table – A meeting place for the community at Chester Road URC, Ellesmere Port

Caption: The Table at Chester Road URC

Chester Road URC, Ellesmere Port, has opened a meeting place, "The Table" providing a warm safe hub for those in crisis and supplying free hot meals and snacks, puddings, cakes and refreshments. It also provides food parcels for those referred from the West Cheshire food bank. Additionally, the church offers a baby and toddler area and its vestry is available as a safe place with advice from citizens advice representative.

The Table, which opened on 1st March this year, recently featured on BBC Radio Merseyside as Louise Raby and Lucinda Golightly, of The Cupboard Network talked about their involvement in the Local Community Cupboard - focused on fighting food waste and sustainable living. Two food cupboards are currently on the Chester Road URC Ellesmere Port, church premises and they are the only church presently taking part.

Helen Jones - Kevin Duala sits in (28/06/2023) - BBC Sounds AT 34 MINS

Lesley Sharples, Church Secretary at the Chester Road United Reformed Church, Ellesmere Port,  commented: “Since opening, "The Table", as in God's table, has gone from strength to strength. I work with the volunteers (a brilliant and dedicated team of ten) who work so extremely hard. We are privileged to listen to everyone who comes through the doors as they entrust and discuss with us their ongoing struggles and problems in their everyday lives.  Soup, toasties, beans on toast and pastries are available and we aim to provide a meeting place and a warm hub for the lonely or isolated, or those have their own problems, which I'm very privileged to listen and talk to.”