“It’s changed my life, thank you.”

Those are the words of Jacqui Williams, summing up the impact a weekly lunch club run by volunteers and funded by believe housing has had on her life.

Jacqui lives alone in Seaham and since visiting Eastlea Community Centre, on the town’s Stockton Road, every Thursday she’s discovered that a free hot meal is served with a side dish of friendship.

She said: “I’m quite shy but, when I’ve come here, I’ve met a lot of new friends. “We’ve laughed and I can’t really thank everybody enough.

“The volunteers are brilliant, believe is doing a wonderful job, I’m really, really grateful.

“It has changed my life, thank you.”

In November, believe housing awarded a £9,662 large revenue community grant from its community investment programme to the centre’s Community Comfort initiative.

Building on an existing lunch club and the idea of warm hubs, which helped people with the cost-of-living crisis over the winter, volunteers began holding activities for those attending.

Now, about 40 people regularly turn up to enjoy a free two-course meal followed by a cuppa and biscuits, workshops, support, and activities such as bingo and curling.

The grant has enabled volunteers to provide a hot and nutritious meal for people who might not pay for or prepare one for themselves, particularly those who are older or live alone.

It also paid for 30 slow cookers and recipe books to be given to members.

Corporate Social Responsibility Manager Rachel Edmunds was among colleagues from believe housing’s Community Investment Team who took time out of their day jobs recently to help in the kitchen, ahead of Volunteers’ Week which runs from 1 to 7 June.

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She said: “We came down as a team just to see what it means to this organisation, how important our funding is, and how important it is for believe housing to get involved in communities and supporting organisations in our areas.

“We washed up, served up, and talked to attendees about how this really helps them.”

John Bainbridge, a Trustee and volunteer at Eastlea Community Centre said the lunch club was established years ago but is more popular than ever since receiving a grant from believe housing.

He said: “The meal is important I think, but the socialising’s even more so.

“It is a chance to get out of the house, meet friends, have a good time, and it wouldn’t be possible without the funding, we’re very grateful.”

The Northern Echo:

Anyone from Seaham or the surrounding area is welcome at the Community Comfort lunch club, held on Thursdays, from noon to 3pm.

The service is free, but donations are welcome. To book a place or for details, call the centre on 0191 581 2399.

For information on community funding available from believe housing, including the large revenue community grant which will be open for applications from Monday 5 June to Friday 7 July, visit www.believehousing.co.uk/your-community/community-funding