Goldthorpe and Wombwell encourage people to Meet Thy Neighbour

A Meet Thy Neighbour event hosted by Salvation Army churches in Goldthorpe and Barnsley with Wombwell brought the community together to celebrate and enjoy some fabulous food. 

Around 50 people attended the event, which was hosted at the Wombwell church in Park Street, with Goldthorpe Salvation Army members and friends bringing Nigerian and English food.

Territorial Envoy Alison Sykes, who leads Goldthorpe Salvation Army, said: “This is the second year we’ve hosted Meet Thy Neighbour, and it was great to team up with our friends at Wombwell this year. 

“It was a fantastic event which brought people together to share good food, conversation and learn about each other’s cultures. The idea was to celebrate the diversity of our community and show that everyone is welcome in our churches no matter who you are or where you come from.” 

Jayne-Claire Trent, who is part of the Wombwell with Barnsley Salvation Army Leadership Team, said: “Meet Thy Neighbour was an excellent opportunity for people from around our community such as councillors, family hub teams, local groups, as well as our neighbours from the houses next to the building to get together socially to enjoy some fabulous food. 

“We made some good links with other community groups and are now developing partnerships with them. It was great to be able to share details about the work The Salvation Army is doing in our local community.” 

Jackie Kenning, Community Programme Co-ordinator at Goldthorpe Salvation Army, added: “We had lots of comments on how lovely the event was and how people enjoyed the different types of food.

“We were also really pleased to have support from local councillor Cllr James Higginbottom who said it was a real exemplar of a fantastic community initiative, breaking down barriers and bringing everyone together.” 

Craig Hopwood, who volunteers at the Wombwell church, said: “What a pleasure it was for us to be able to host our neighbours Goldthorpe Corps and their event. 

“We had approximately 50 people from all different walks of life, different nationalities, people of faith and of no faith. This was faith in action and pulling our communities together.  A lot of effort went into the cooking and organising, with everyone going home fed and happy.” 

Goldthorpe Salvation Army in Straight Lane runs a number of activities and support for the community through the week including a food bank, wellbeing sessions on a Wednesday and signposting sessions. 

Wombwell with Barnsley Salvation Army also hosts activities including a craft group, Sunday worship and provides items for newborn babies.