The THOMAS drop-in centre is run by the coordinator, Beverly Suddick, with a handful of staff members and a large cohort of volunteers; but on the first Monday of every month, the drop-in centre is blessed by the presence of a special group of volunteers. Known to us as the ‘Ribchester group’, the volunteers come from different churches within the parish of Ribchester and Longridge: St Peter and St Paul RC Church, Ribchester; St Wilfred’s C of E Church, Ribchester; and St Wildred’s RC Church, Longridge.
Their volunteering group comprises of 10 people in total, and a group of 4 will come down each month on a rota to cover the different jobs at the drop in, providing their own food to serve.
“We’re just the glamorous grannies” said Catherine, who has been a volunteer for several years. “As a group, we’ve been coming for over 20 years. It’s through the church and we want to help people”.
“We each buy 5 lbs of potatoes, make mash at home and then take it to the Centre to warm it up. One person of our group comes along with approximately 20 tins of stew, 20 tins of carrots/peas and 10 Swiss roll cakes from our group’s supply. The Centre provides the tea and coffee. These are also heated up at the Centre.”
In 2023-2024, 16% of adults took part in formal volunteering once a month, a number on the upwards trend. And the Ribchester group are unwavering in their dedication and support to THOMAS, showing up month after month with a smile. “We get up out of bed and volunteer because we want to. Often when you’re outside, you see people who are homeless and just think ‘If only they had a nice warm meal’ and it’s made me become even more empathetic.” From Siobhan, a new addition to the group.
The parish of Ribchester and Longridge also conduct collections throughout the year for THOMAS, with the money raised used to buy the food they bring to the drop-in centre.
“Occasionally, if funds are running low, we have a bric-a-brac sale/raffle sale. The last one was held in Chipping Village Hall and there was a good turnout from the local community. Occasionally, Beverley will let the group know if they are running short on items e.g. cups and [we] will buy those items as well. At Christmas time the group buy two turkeys, and the team leader and his wife cook them and bring them to the Centre for the clients Christmas dinner”.
Everyone who comes to the drop in will get a hot dinner, but the number of attendees has increased over the last few years, and at times, the group can sometimes only make a sandwich and a lunch bag for the last few who arrive late. Despite those challenges, the Ribchester group are determined and passionate about the role they play in the community, wanting to do something to make people’s lives that little bit better.
“The majority of us have finished our working life and so we can give back. We want to make a difference and feel useful, so we don’t fizzle away!”
