St Paul’s Cathedral will host a National Service of Celebration of the Warm Welcome Campaign this evening (Wednesday 22 April) 5–6pm.
Warm Welcome Service of Celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral
The Warm Welcome Campaign was founded in 2022 and there are over 6,000 Warm Welcome Spaces opened up across the UK – including in some of our cathedrals – offering space for connection, friendship, and human warmth, helping people feel less isolated and boosting wellbeing.
Earlier this year Leicester Cathedral was named as the 6,000th space to join the Warm Welcome Campaign providing a safe, warm, and friendly space for those in need of connection.
The Welcome Café offers hospitality, conversation, activities, and even skill-sharing opportunities like knitting and jigsaw puzzles. There are no strings attached – guests can drop in anytime between 10.30am and 12.00pm on Fridays (excluding Bank Holidays). Donations are welcome but not required
’We know we are a welcoming place, but for some, a friendly face, a hot drink, and a chat can be a lifeline in a lonely week,’ said Elaine Smith, who along with Marian Kandi lead the volunteer team as two of the Cathedral’s licensed lay ministers.
This Evensong service at St Paul’s Cathedral will bring together partners, supporters and volunteers to celebrate the impact of Warm Welcome Spaces across the UK and recognise the people who make them so vital to their communities.
Across the UK, 14.4 million people live in poverty, and 7% of the population experience chronic loneliness. Loneliness is one of the most prevalent crises of our times.
The Warm Welcome Campaign resources, connects, and champions the Warm Welcome Spaces and bring together a growing coalition of local, regional, and national partners representing the worlds of charity, faith, business, government, and philanthropy.
