A warm welcome that turned a stranger into a neighbour

When M arrived in England from Ukraine in July 2024, she was carrying the weight of leaving behind almost everything familiar. She had left her home, her wider family and her cat behind, arrived knowing almost no English, and was adjusting to life in a new country.

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Living with a family in the village, M had a place to stay, but no wider local connections until she found the Community Cafe at Nettlesworth Community Centre in Chester-le-Street.

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That is where she met Lillian Walker.

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Lillian is the head volunteer and cook at the weekly Community Cafe, preparing and cooking the food each Monday before spending time with the people who attend. The cafe brings around 20 people together each week for lunch and bingo, creating a space where friendships can grow.

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From the moment M began attending, Lillian made a special effort to help her feel welcome. Arriving with very little English and finding it difficult to understand the local north-east accent, M needed support with even simple things, such as managing the bingo numbers.

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Through patience, kindness and friendship, Lillian helped M feel more at home. She even prepared a special meal for her when M’s medical condition meant she needed to eat a minimum amount of protein.

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Although M now lives in her own accommodation five miles away and experiences mobility problems, she still makes the journey to the cafe every week, taking two buses to attend. The connections and friendships she has found there have made the journey worthwhile.

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Lillian’s welcome has also inspired the wider cafe community. What began with one person making the effort to include M has grown into a community where everyone looks out for her and Svetlana, another Ukrainian refugee who attends the cafe. They are missed when they are not there and warmly welcomed when they return.

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Lillian’s leadership has helped make Nettlesworth Community Cafe the welcoming space it is today. In a village with little previous experience of welcoming refugees, her kindness and example have opened the door to new friendships and a greater understanding of the experiences of others.

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The welcome M has received has come from something simple but powerful: people taking the time to sit together, share food, listen and build friendships. Lillian and M’s story is a reminder that Warm Welcome Spaces can help turn unfamiliar places into communities, and strangers into friends.

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Lillian Walker was recognised as the winner of the Unlikely Friendships award at the Warm Welcome Awards ceremony in London in June 2026.