Residents and visitors to the DeCarle House sheltered housing, in Thorpe St Andrew, enjoyed an afternoon tea, served on vintage crockery, thanks to a team from Gateway Vineyard’s 1000 Hours initiative.

Over 30 people enjoyed the tea which was prepared and served by a team of 16 people from Gateway’s The Place venue and the church’s Girls’ Life Group, led by Claire Gardner.

Sarah Avey, community facilitator from The Place, said: “There was a lovely atmosphere and a great team bridging all ages: from people who supplied all the fabulous hand-baked cakes and sandwiches; those who set up the tables so beautifully with vintage crockery, tablecloths and fresh flowers; and those who worked extremely hard to make teas and coffees and wash up during the afternoon. The residents were very appreciative of having people to chat with, for receiving individual invitations with a chocolate each, and having children serve as waitresses for the afternoon. There were positive comments about it exceeding expectations!”

“As well as adding hours to the 1000 Hours total, the afternoon tea provided a good opportunity for outreach from The Place. We hope that relationships will continue with residents being able to drop in during the week, and we have been invited to continue to spend time at the activities at DeCarle House,” said Sarah.

The campaign of kindness total has now topped 1200 hours and is still going strong into its last two weeks.