The Rural Coffee Caravan

by Bruce Waldron

WE had a circuit meeting recently. It wasn’t the usual circuit meeting. This meeting was held to look at a particular item of business, the Rural Coffee Caravan. The project was started by the Rural Crisis Network and is funded by a number of agencies, even if not quite adequately.

The Rural Coffee Caravan goes into a village where all the old systems that used to provide meeting points have been eroded. You know how it was. The village shop, the Post Office, the school, all the places where people used to meet have disappeared. All that’s left is the pub and that’s only for some people. In many places there isn’t even a pub. Denton have put a Post Office into the Chapel vestry and that serves a multitude of functions for that village. Much of the village population meets there on a Thursday morning and has a cuppa and a chat and the grapevine flourishes. In many places, there is no such place. Neighbours don’t even stop and talk over the fence so much now. They all drive by in cars.

The Rural Coffee Caravan is intended to supplement this absence of communication that many villages now experience. As well as being a meeting point, it becomes an information resource, carrying leaflets and access phone numbers and addresses for services designed to support people in a host of ways; those looking after disabled children, terminally ill loved ones, adults with disabilities, debt crisis, pension management ... the list goes on.

It was whilst we were talking that one person made the observation that there may be a need for someone who is a skilled listener when the caravan comes around. Further observation was made about the role of church coffee mornings. Far more than being just a church fund-raiser, it may be a place where someone needs to be on site for the person who just wants to talk. Churches can fulfil a very important role here. The big danger, of course, is that people who come along may feel under threat. “If I put my foot in that door, they’ll get me!” Some people are a bit hesitant to come to Church Coffee Mornings because they feel that the church folk are on the lookout for recruits. For all our organizations, our chapels, please do consider what opportunities for service and Christian love are open by the use of coffee mornings. Also, if you are holding one, please be careful not to give out the signals that will discourage people from attending.

The Rural Coffee Caravan NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

The Project provides a mobile ‘get-together’ for people living in rural communities PLUS valuable information about many organisations & charities.

We need people to:~

• tow our Caravan to villages

• meet and greet visitors...with the help of coffee/tea & home-made cakes

• help with enquiries

If you are a friendly person who would like to make life in the country a little more interesting and could help with any of these activities, please contact Julie Kersey [Project Coordinator) to find out more.

Tel: 01728 862063, or email: coffee.caravan@ntlworld.com