CRCWs have time limited appointments, so we never get to see 鈥渢all oaks, from little acorns grow鈥�. We are very fortunate, though, to sometimes see very strong shoots or even saplings shooting up in unexpected places.
Our lates venture at St Columba鈥檚 is an exercise class. This feels like it has come out of the blue 鈥� but when I look at the stages, I guess I shouldn鈥檛 be so surprised.
Before lockdown a friendship group had formed at the church, this evolved to become a place where older people came for company and brought their lunch. During the winter months I started to make soup for them. Then came lockdown. We started up again when we were able and as the cost-of-living crisis arrived, this developed into a warm space (now called warm welcome or community space). It鈥檚 become quite popular, twice a week home made soup and a warm place to gather and chat. During the summer months we provide scones or teacakes.
One day some in the group were telling me how sad they were that their gentle exercise class had stopped as the person who ran it was unwell, and it wasn鈥檛 expected to reopen. They asked me if I could do anything in the church to help them out. So, I had a little think and realised it was actually quite feasible. Now, every week, we use a YouTube video with half an hour of chair based gentle exercise, followed by a bowl of soup and a chat.
This is probably what makes my days so interesting and why I love my work 鈥� that I can respond to requests, that the church is flexible and accommodating enough to be able to say, 鈥渓et鈥檚 try it and see what happens.鈥� God is always ahead of me laying out opportunities 鈥� I just need to keep up!