Community church hopes to provide a ‘Haven’ for Bognor Regis

Dubbed The Haven, the project began in June last year with the opening of a wellbeing café in The Shore community church on Victoria Drive.

Alongside providing a space to simply ‘be’, associate minister Nick Drury said The Haven is home to a variety of initiatives designed to tackle isolation in the wake of the pandemic.

These range from a ‘knit and natter’ group, to a weekly mental health session with trained staff from Renew Wellbeing.

Ultimately, Mr Drury said, The Haven is intended to supply short term, early intervention support to those in the most immediate need.

“I think it’s about recognising that there’s so much need out there, particularly for those who are lonely and isolated, even more so since the pandemic,” he said.

The project is also set to grow, providing support for new families with projects like a weekly story corner, which Mr Drury hopes will give families with young children a chance to bond, connect and grow: “The overwhelming response is community. It’s about being with other people who might be in similar situations.”