Getting involved with the church and volunteering in my community

Hello, Ann. Hello. Yes, um, we're here today just wanting to find out what is it Like, where you live? Um, well, I've lived in Tide Hill now, for probably 45 years Before that, I lived in, um, Hill Fields in Coventry. So it's always been Coventry

Um, the areas are fairly similar. They're very like friendly, family orientated, and, um, very enjoyable to live in. That's why we stayed

Um, I moved into Tyler Hill when I got married with my husband, and, uh, we enjoyed everything, uh, in the the street. It's still been the same house. We've never moved

Um, And then after my husband died, I realised just how friendly the street was. Everybody was so nice and concerned. And that's when I found the Lady of the Sumption Church as well

Uh, because I wasn't actually a Catholic. I'm a convert. And, uh, the church just welcomed me with open arms

And I may have lost a husband, but I gained a family, so yes, I, I really like, enjoy living where I do. Yeah, that's great. That's great

I see you do a lot of volunteering at the church, and, um how does that make you feel, um, volunteering has filled that gap when my husband isn't there anymore. I needed to get out and be with people and everything else. Um, I volunteer here at the church

I volunteer at the charity shop and hospice, and, um, it's it's helped fill that gap. And I've met so many lovely people. So yeah, it's it's been out of something bad has come something really good

So, yeah, I really enjoy it. OK, I see also that we share the same. I mean a common denominator where both of us have lost our husbands

Do you think there's something that could be done, uh, within the community, for people who are in our situation? Well, that might be, uh, yeah, something to to look into. I mean, it's not just widows, it's widowers as well, and as well, they they have lost their lives. I mean, that has happened in the church as well

Uh, people, uh uh, I mean, it's it's a way of life. Dying is is like living. It is going to happen sort of thing

So it would be nice perhaps to get a little group of people who have something like that in common, Because until you've been through something like that, you don't realise how devastating it can be to your life. And I think that would be that would help, you know, to know that that group was there, that should that occasion ever arise, you've got somewhere to go where people have the same, um, event that's happened in their life and can pass on, uh, things that might help them get through it. Yeah

Yeah, I realise. I think we have a common, um, thing that we could work on. And this is the right place to start

Yes. OK, thank you very much.