From litter picking and gardening to a free community barbecue, nearly 40 volunteers took part in ‘Love Lordshill’, an event organised by Lord’s Hill Church to serve and support the local community.
Running from 10am to 2pm, the event aimed to bless residents and strengthen community connections.
From 10am, litter-picking teams grabbed their bin bags and set off to tidy streets around the area. Gardening teams were dispatched to the local library, next door to the church, to clear and refresh the library garden.
At 11am, the church hosted a free community barbecue, with volunteers inviting residents and passers-by to stop for a free hot dog, burger, or drink. The church garden was also transformed into a fun space for families and young people, featuring lawn games and football activities.
Local businesses, including Starbucks and Sainsbury’s, also supported the event by donating food and coffee.
Young people from the church’s Friday night youth club joined families and other volunteers in helping clean up the local area.
One of the organisers, Michelle Rawlins, said, “It was truly a wonderful day and a great way to bless the community. One lady came along, who regularly attends our mid-week toddler group and through conversations on Saturday she decided to come to church on Sunday. It was great to see her and her children at church, which wouldn’t have happened were it not for ‘Love Lordshill’ the day before. Another lady also decided to come to our 9am service and prayed that God would wake her up in time as she had no alarm clock! Well, he did and she came along the following morning!”
This year marked the third time the church has organised ‘Love Lordshill’ to help increase pride in the area and show God’s love to its community.
Vicar Tom Boulter said, “Love Lordshill is an opportunity to serve the community alongside the community. Hundreds of people turned up for the litter pick, gardening, free BBQ, and games – all ages and backgrounds working together to show we care about the place where we live and the people who live here. It’s a way of practically demonstrating the love Jesus has for every corner of society, and a great example of the power of unity in a world filled with so much division.”
