East Hull Has Spoken

Last week we were delighted to open the doors to the public, holding a number of events that encouraged people to come in an have a look around.

We met lots of lovely people who were kind enough to give us their thoughts on what they would like to see happening here at The Well, how we can help their community and what sort of needs they were experiencing since the pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, we found that the major issues touching our community are isolation and mental health concerns. Secondary to both of these were Health advice and Exercise classes. Many people also asked for fun things to do like live music and tea and toast socials, as well as family based activites like Holiday Clubs and family fun. Having this vital information means we can plan and apply for funding for the future events we can run to really aid the community where it is needed most.

As we process the results from our community consultation and we reflect of the state of our local community, it is worth pausing to grieve the effect of the last 18 months. Those we met during our launch week were down to earth, plucky people trying to put on a brave face and push on with life. But there were sad and familiar stories that emerged. Elderly family that had either died or had taken a down-hill turn, due to pandemic isolation or difficulty in accessing health services. A loss of a sense of community was another theme that came out as people spoke to us. Anxiety and depression were regular by-words.

Our community is hurting.

Seeing this means we, as Christians, are hurting too.

The God we love and follow is not indifferent to human suffering. The Bible is full of stories of His intervention, mostly involving everyday people whom God instructs to make a difference on His behalf. This is why River City Church opened The Well. We’re not interested in pushing faith or religion on anyone who doesn’t want it. But we are here to be an access point. A point where God, through His people, can provide His care and compassion to those that need it. Jesus told his followers they were to freely give just as they had freely received. Many of us at River City have stories of having nowhere to turn but then found solace and comfort, even healing, in Jesus. Just as God has helped us freely in our time of need; we hope to be help to others that may need it too.

We look forward to putting practical things into action in the coming weeks and months.