A shared community space in Truro city centre offering support to people in the area is going from strength to strength after officially opening in 2025.

People often think The Living Room, on River Street, is another modern café in the city with its welcoming decor, fresh cakes and coffee – but it is much more than that.

The building hosts seven local projects, around 20 volunteers, and people from a variety of denominations running various sessions throughout the week. These include a Sunday church service, community larder, clothes bank, and a bible study. There are also bookshelves offering free bibles as well as a book and toy swap.

Volunteers work in the kitchen preparing soup and salads or offering tea, coffee and cake to people arriving.

Lesley Robertson, who lives in Truro, walks to The Living Room to volunteer wherever she is needed.

She said: “I do a bit of everything here really. I have been helping since it started. I do enjoy coming here.”

Ginny Daley is one of the core team, as Co-lead in the café and works with the Community Larder.

She said: “I have been here since the foodbank was at Highertown.”

Three years ago, Revd Erica Payne and a group of churchgoers formed The Dockyard Collective with the vision of creating a shared space to support their community after witnessing deprivation in the area.

The Dockyard, which runs The Living Room has also been awarded funds from the Diocese of Truro’s Lowest Income Communities Funding (LICF).

David Malindine, Dockyard Collective’s Leadership team member, said he felt the Living Room was an example of ‘church in action’.

He said: “It has been great working with Erica. It is nice to see the vision come to fruition.”

Revd Payne added: “Community is really important to us.

“For three years, God has been faithful to our vision of The Living Room and he keeps surprising us. I am aware one day it may end, but so many good things are happening in Truro.”

The Living Room, true to its name, continues to grow and evolve.

To keep up-to-date with what goes on at The Living Room visit https://thedockyardcollective.org/the-living-room