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StJohnsLoddon
Friends and Neighbours - The Church in Loddon  

The monthly Friends and Neighbours group in Loddon is a place for those who have been widowed, male or female, to share a meal or afternoon tea together as well as support and friendship. 

Norfolk feeds 5000logo243Friends and Neighbours provides support and friendship to anyone who has been widowed, male or female.

The group meets in the St John’s Lecture Hall in Loddon, South Norfolk on the first Thursday of the month, sometimes sharing a lunch, sometimes afternoon tea and at Christmas going out for a special meal. During the summer days out are organised.

Retired minister Rev Joan Evans, a member of the Church in Loddon, started and runs Friends and Neighbours.  She said: “Everybody in the group has been widowed, so they are on their own most of the time. What they really enjoy is having food prepared for them and having someone to eat it with.”

The group was established in September 2003 six months after Joan’s husband died.  Joan said: “I was driving up Loddon Street one day and I identified 3 or 4 other people who had lost their husband. I had been very fortunate in that I’d received a lot of support through the church and friends. 

“I thought a lot of them wouldn’t have had as much good fortune in that respect so I asked our vicar if he thought a bereavement support group would be worth starting. He said: “Great idea!” I thought initially that people would come just in the aftermath of bereavement, but they said ‘please could we meet every month’ so we’ve been going ever since.”

The cost of the lunch is divided between the members.

Factfile


Project: Friends and Neighbours group
Who: Holy Trinity and St John's Chapel (known as the Church in Loddon)
What: Monthly support group with lunch or afternoon tea for bereaved spouses
Where: Loddon
When: First Thursday of month at 12.30pm
Numbers: 30 each month
Contacts: Rev Joan Evans on 01508 528656 or email joanevans936@btinternet.com     


Published: 05/06/2017


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