We always used to call it “the shop that didn’t sell anything” but now we’re Grace Place!
It all started eight years ago, when West Harton Methodist Church, in South Shields, rented a shop in the main shopping street for six weeks over Easter to offer free hospitality in the form of a hot drink and a scone or hot cross bun. It was only ever intended to be a “one off” but seemed to be so necessary that it has been run for six weeks at Easter and Christmas ever since, and over the years we have gathered many regulars round us. We have been in four different retail premises over the time, but the format has always been more or less the same.
We offer a hot drink and scone, and sit and talk with the visitors. We don’t evangelise directly – the aim is to show the face of Jesus – but we offer prayer, either by writing on a “Post-it” note, or to actually pray with a visitor in the space we call “the Chapel”
We have information on food banks, soup kitchens, other drop in facilities and a supply of warm clothing and sleeping bags for those in need. In pre-Covid days we had booklets (why Jesus?, Try-praying etc) to take away and a craft table, but these are not currently practicable.
About three years ago, we felt the call to move to regular opening and sought funding from the Methodist Church at Circuit, District and Connexional level, and were delighted to be fully funded for five years. The project changed from West Harton Church’s project to a circuit one, mostly staffed by volunteers from the churches of the South Shields Cluster. We started running 3 days a week in September 2019 and had built up quite a community until Covid struck and we had to close in the first lock-down in March 2020 and again in November 2020
We’ve been open now in our current premises since May 2021, and numbers are building up again – some old friends and some new. We were blessed with a visit from the President and Vice President of the Methodist Connexion in November 2021
Our visitors come from across the social spectrum. Homeless, addicts, vulnerable through mental health issues, lonely elderly, or just passing by – we usually have someone at the door inviting in passers-by. Over the years we have gathered many regulars, on first-name terms with most of them. We know how they like their hot drinks, we know their foibles. They have made friends and will sit and chat with each other and help each other out. One of our regulars comes through from Sunderland every market day – he was overheard on the bus to say “it’s God’s shop.”
We’re open three days a week, on market days.
Monday 11.00 to 3.00
Friday 11.00 to 3.00
Saturday11.00 to 2.00
Closed bank holidays
Do come and see us when we’re open – we are at 20 Denmark Centre South Shields NE33 2LR – next to Charlie and Carter Foundation on Fowler Street and across the road from Virgin Money