Home Page Haverhill News

It is 25 years since a £50,000 project was completed to turn two derelict cottages in Camps Road into a cafe and a listening place for people in trouble.

Haverhill Methodist Church have celebrated the silver jubilee of Next Door, the brainchild of their minister in the 1980s, the Rev Penry Hughes.

As well as a coffee shop selling light lunches and snacks, Next Door is a befriending centre. Anyone can drop in for a chat, or to talk through a problem. If appropriate they can be guided to other helping agencies.

The church held a celebration service on Sunday morning and welcomed back Mr Hughes and his wife Evelyn. This was followed by a ploughman's lunch for over 80 people associated with Next Door - workers, customers and others - celebrated together and looked forward to the next 25 years.

Over the years, Next Door has seen a number of initiatives. It has served as a meeting place for supervised parental access, various meetings take place on the premises and a cell group meets there each week.

Among the 'customers' there are 'the regulars', who have become rather like family to the volunteers, plus many who just pop in for a coffee or to get something from the bookshop.