A FREE open door cafe is 'alive with laughter' and getting more popular by the week ahead of a big change after Easter.
Already an immensely popular event, catering for around 50 people each week, the Open Door kitchen at St Wulstan's in Cranham Drive, Warndon, began life offering residents a warm friendly space to meet neighbours and enjoy a free meal.
The menu has expanded ever since, including meat and vegetarian options, and now organisers look forward to preparing an enhanced offering of sandwiches and cake for the community.
The Saturday Soup is taking place this Saturday between 11.30am and 1pm.
It is due to transform into its latest incarnation - the Saturday Cake Stand - on April 15, offering sandwiches and cake.
Previously it had been a Saturday Brunch and continues to evolve with the seasons and to suit the tastes of people making use of the service which is free to those who make use of it.
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Councillor Jill Desayrah credits the growing success of the event to local people and volunteers, and is excited to see what the Easter period will bring. "People are queueing to get a seat. There's a real appetite for it and it's a Warndon success story," she said.
She added: “I've been pleased with the reception I've received for my home-cooked soups, and the bar has been set high.
"Excitingly some of the local residents will also be showing off their baking skills and I am so pleased that people are enjoying being involved.
"St Wulstan's is alive with noise and laughter. People come for the food, yes, but it is also the friendship. The age group is wide, the youngest attendee 18 months and the oldest over 90. The sessions also double as my surgery and there is a quiet space where I talk to residents about their concerns.
"My thanks go to all the generous sponsors: St Wulstan's, Platform and Sanctuary Housing along with Citizen, the Blakemore Foundation and Warm Hubs but most particularly I would like to thank all the volunteers who turn up and give their time because they believe that this project is achieving something worthy each and every week."
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