Hi, I’m Dub Everitt, Outreach Pastor at Welcome Church, guest-writing Steve’s blog this week to share an exciting update on a project that’s very close to our hearts: the opening of the Woking Community Grocery — a social supermarket designed to serve and strengthen some of the most vulnerable families in our town.
This will be a place where hungry families find food, dignity, and hope. That’s the vision behind Welcome Church’s upcoming Community Grocery, and we believe it will genuinely change lives.
The Community Grocery – a Big Vision with a Big Impact
We are launching the Woking Community Grocery in partnership with The Message Trust, an incredible, passionate Christian organisation based in Manchester. Across the UK, they have already opened 33 Community Groceries, serving over 70,000 members with low-cost, reliable food and wrap-around support.
Our Grocery will be open to everyone in Woking — of all faiths and none. Membership will be just £5 per year, and families can choose a weekly shop costing between £5 and £12.50, saving up to £50 per week (that’s £2,500 a year!) on their shopping bills.
We forecast that 1,000 families from across Woking will use the Grocery in the first year alone. Every member will also be able to access our Welcome Works services—debt support, money coaching, mental health & wellbeing help, job clubs and more. It’s a powerful, dignifying “hand up, not handout” model that helps people take real steps forward in life.
Building Work Update
Following our purchase of Church Gate, the office block next door to our church, renovation work is now full steam ahead. The scaffolding is up, the roof is repaired, the rooms have been stripped back, and we’re on track for completion in March 2026.
After a meeting with our architect yesterday, I came away buzzing. The designs for the Grocery, the community spaces, and the upstairs rooms are looking amazing, and here are a couple of images to whet your appetite at this stage.
First an aerial view of the grocery lay out:
Second, a view of the Meet & Greet area:
The doorway shown is the new entrance we are adding to Church Gate, which will open onto our front area, linking it all our buildings as one campus. Please continue to pray for the renovation and planning work over the coming months!
And now for the date we’ve all been waiting for… (drumroll please!):
Our planned launch date is: Thursday 16th April 2026!
We’ll share more details closer to the time, but it’s going to be a huge celebration as we cut the ribbon and welcome our first customers.
And Now, Introducing Our Grocery Manager: Darren Green
On Sunday 16th November, we were thrilled to announce Darren Green as our new Community Grocery Manager — and the church’s response said it all.
The cheering, the applause, the warmth… it was a beautiful moment that showed how much this project means to our church family.
We also loved officially giving Darren his new double-barrelled surname:
Darren Green-Grocer (A prophetic sign? We think so!)
Darren will begin his role on 1st February 2026, giving plenty of time to prepare for the launch.
Over 250 People Saying, “Count Me In!”
Over two Sundays, we invited people to fill in a “Count me in!” card to get involved in all things Grocery and Welcome Works. We were hoping for 75 sign-ups… instead, we’ve seen over 250 people step forward!
We’re genuinely blown away! God is clearly stirring us as a church not only to give sacrificially – over £2 million so far – but also to give our time, skills, and hearts to serve our town. What a response. What a church. What a God.
Workshops for everyone who signed up will be held across five different days over the next few weeks to help each person find the right place to serve. If you signed up, we will be in touch with you about that soon.
Do You Want Us to “Count You In” Too?
I know many people at Welcome Church may still want to get involved but, for various reasons, haven’t yet filled out a “Count me in” card.
It’s not too late! Here’s how you can register your interest:
- Fill in the digital “Count me in” card via this link: Count Me In
- Or if you prefer you can E-mail Helen, our Grocery Project Manager
Through our powerful autumn preaching series, “True Religion,” we’ve been stirred by God’s heart for the poor — and by His call for His people to step into the gap with hope, compassion, and practical love. That’s exactly what the Community Grocery is all about.
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