The Welcome Table celebrates first anniversary after serving 1,800 people
By Community Correspondent
A community dining project offering pay-what-you-can meals has marked its first anniversary after welcoming more than 1,800 people over the past year.
Heather Scharnhorst, who helps run The Welcome Table in Wareham, told the BBC the initiative gives people the chance to enjoy a meal together while making new connections.
The volunteer-led project welcomes up to 45 guests of all backgrounds every Thursday at Holy Trinity Church. More than 50 people attended a special gathering to celebrate its first birthday.
The scheme relies on donations and received initial funding from Dorset Council when it launched a year ago.
Scharnhorst told the BBC the team had been surprised by how far the project had come. She said its success had also enabled the organisers to offer advice to other communities interested in establishing similar initiatives.
She explained that the idea was straightforward but brought benefits to everyone involved.
The Welcome Table works alongside the charity Not Just Sundaes, with meals prepared by a professional chef.
According to Scharnhorst, the project has been particularly valuable for larger families who may struggle to afford a meal out together, as well as people who live alone.
She told the BBC the venue had developed into a welcoming community space where people could spend time together and form friendships.
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Scharnhorst also takes her own children to the weekly gatherings, giving them opportunities to meet people from different backgrounds and build relationships with those they might not otherwise encounter.
She told the BBC that bringing people together over a shared meal had also had a positive effect on the community's mental wellbeing.
Seeing guests enjoying themselves and hearing laughter around the tables had been especially rewarding, she added, highlighting the importance of meeting a need for connection and companionship.
Source: BBC News
