GUNNISLAKE’s Wednesday Winter Warmer saw a great turnout this week as locals dropped by to enjoy some free hot food and a chat.

The project is in place to provide a warm space and hot food and drinks for people in the community that may need it during these winter months, whilst also combating loneliness.

Members of the community have been gathering at the Woodland Centre, Gunnislake on Wednesdays since November last year. Each week they are welcomed by the bubbly cook, Natalie Jasper who has been providing tasty homemade soups, jacket potatoes and cakes between 1pm-3pm. There is also a committed team of helpers including Mai Evans from Livewest who had the idea for the project and acquired the funding from Volunteer Cornwall.

Last week, 19 people popped in to join the Wednesday Winter Warmer and some of the group expressed how vital the service has been for their wellbeing.

Christine said: ‘It’s comfort, company and cake. Somewhere to go instead of looking at four walls. It’s warm and it’s accessible because there is a ramp to come in. It’s been such a good community-spirited, neighbourly thing, it’ll be such a shame when it stops in March.’

These views were echoed by another group member, Maureen Haddy who said: ‘I love coming up here for the company. You get to know people and make friends and I look forward to coming. We meet up and we have a laugh.’

Hana, one of the volunteers added: ‘When it first started, everybody came straight away. There’s so much community spirit. It gets people out and is somewhere they can come and feel comfortable.

‘For me, since covid I’ve stayed in and coming here has made me more sociable and it has kept me positive and more mobile.’

Natalie, who is clearly enthusiast about the project and loves the work she does, spoke of the importance of the project for people’s mental health.

Natalie said: ‘It’s a real community thing where people can get together;

After lockdowsn, the group is real tonic.

‘I think that if there were more things rurally like this where people can get together, eat and chat, it would help their mental health.

Natalie is keen to increase awareness of the project and encourage anyone to pop along, emphasising that Wednesday Winter Warmer is open to all.

‘It’s a lovely space to be with your community, whoever you are’, said Natalie.

Aside from the wellbeing benefits of the project, the weekly gathering is also helping to tackle food waste with free vegetables being provided by the Cornwall Gleaning Network and the nearby community fridge at Albaston with funding for the remaining groceries being provided by Livewest.