Breaking bread, building bridges in Liverpool

"There is no greater leveller than sharing a meal around a table, regardless of colour, regardless of creed, regardless of nationality, regardless of means," reflects Cate Warbrick, Church and Community Lay Development Worker at St Luke's Church in Hoylake in the North West England District. "And for me, there is a real beauty in being exposed to that."

Since 2020, St Luke's has embodied this philosophy, transforming from a pandemic-shuttered church into a vital lifeline for asylum seekers housed at the nearby Holiday Inn. What began as an emergency response has evolved into a comprehensive support network that challenges conventional approaches to refugee assistance.

An Unexpected Calling

The story began on a Bank Holiday Friday in May 2020, when Wirral Borough Council and Heart4Refugees knocked on St Luke’s door with an urgent request. The Home Office had commandeered the Holiday Inn to house asylum seekers, but the food provision was inadequate. Could the church feed 60 to 90 people that very evening?

"I said yes and shut the door," Cate recalls. What followed was an afternoon of frantic preparation – measuring two-metre distances with yellow tape throughout the church and writing multilingual signs, all whilst battling pandemic restrictions and personal fears about communication barriers.

The evening's success was marked by an unexpected moment of divine reassurance: "A big police van came through the gates, and my heart sank... It was a hot evening and these two police officers jumped out of the van with boxes full of icelollies and at that moment, I just knew that we were going to be okay."

Beyond Basic Needs

What was intended as a one-off meal became a nine-month journey of comprehensive support. Working alongside other local churches, Heart4Refugees, and Wirral Borough Council, St Luke's provided daily meals, clothing for those who arrived barefoot and still in flip flops from coming across on the boat and a space for the community to gather.

The church's sports hall, table tennis table and proximity to Hoylake's beach became vital resources for the predominantly young, male asylum seekers. But perhaps most significantly, Cate and her team recognised the importance of reciprocity.

"My greatest learning from that time was allowing them to help us," she explains. "Empowering them to cook for you is really quite a humbling experience." The church kitchen became a cultural exchange hub where Iranian, Sudanese, and other nationalities shared their culinary traditions.

This approach challenged traditional charity models. Rather than maintaining a paternalistic dynamic, St Luke's embraced what Cate describes as "less of this paternalistic 'I am going to do and love and care for you.' I discovered that by opening our hearts and minds to allow people who we perceive are different to ourselves to love and care for us, we are irrevocably changed and the world and all its people become one."

Evolution and Legacy

When the hotel reopened in 2021, this time housing families rather than single men, St Luke's adapted its approach accordingly. The focus shifted to helping children access education quickly and providing school uniforms, whilst maintaining the food support that remains central to their work.

The impact extends beyond immediate assistance. The Iranians who lived through the pandemic lockdown with the church community dubbed Cate and her colleagues the "Sisters of Flowers," maintaining contact through a WhatsApp group years later. One former resident still calls every birthday and Christmas, saying "Hello, Mama."

Today, St Luke's continues its multifaceted community work through programmes like "Food and Friends" – where asylum seekers often cook for the wider community – proving that refugee support isn't just about providing aid, but about creating genuine integration and mutual enrichment.

As Cate notes, looking at the church's baptismal records, future generations will see "19 names in different languages and different ethnicities as a testament to how our world is changing... We are one creation and one body of people."