Warm space at Dorking Christian Centre has key “social aspect”

A woman who helps to run one of Surrey’s Warm Welcome venues says they are important from “a social perspective, as well as helping people in need”.

The facility at Dorking Christian Centre, now in its fourth year, is one of more than 80 such venues operating as part of a Surrey County Council initiative.

These spaces are intended to give people the opportunity to have a free hot drink, as well as socialise with others during the colder months.

Sue Jamieson said the social aspect was “as important as being out of the cold”.

“It has been quite a social space over the years,” she added.

An ongoing cold snap has seen snow settle in parts of the county amid sub zero temperatures.

This makes the return of the facility at Dorking Christian Centre very timely.

Jamieson said the centre’s “Christian ethos” was a key motivation for creating this space.

“Our aim is to look after those who are less fortunate than ourselves,” she said.

Frequently observing a “queue of people waiting outside in the cold” for the Community Fridge also held at the centre served as further motivation, Jamieson added.

This service, run by Mid Surrey Community Fridges (MSCF), aims to combat food waste by sharing surplus food for a small donation fee.

Jamieson said that historically a huge number of those accessing the Community Fridge would also come to the Warm Welcome venue.

With MSCF set to reduce the number of deliveries from six to two per week, Jamieson fears the space “won’t be quite the same if the Community Fridge isn’t here”.

A spokesperson for MSCF said this change would create the food availability to open new mobile stops in 2026, adding it would also align Dorking with the organisation’s other static hubs in Goodwyns and Leatherhead.

Hot drinks and cold buffet breakfast are on offer at the Warm Welcome space at Dorking Christian Centre, which is open Monday to Friday between 08:30 and 10:00 GMT.