THIS weekend marks the 25th anniversary of Lyttelton Well in Malvern.
The Well was the vision of a group of people who wanted a Christian coffee and book shop and a counselling centre in the town, all of which would offer fellowship to the lonely, basic food to the hungry and acceptance of those who are marginalised by society.
And on Sunday it will celebrate 25 years.
More than 100 volunteers now work for the charity including 20 counsellors who offer their time free of charge and give an average of 120 counselling hours a month.
Many of the volunteers have been working there for the whole of the quarter of a century, including founder and visionary David Webster.
Peter Buchanan, chairman of the Well Trustees, said: “Twenty five years ago I was a supporter cheering from the stands and never expected to be more.
“My role as chairman is a real privilege and I believe the next 25 years will be as exciting as the last and that the Well will continue to be a blessing to the people of Malvern and beyond.”
Twenty five years ago a white dove flew onto the tower of the Well in Church Street and settled there for the whole of an opening ceremony which involved 17 different churches, a crowd of 500 and a 60-strong choir.
The opening ceremony was performed by Viscount Cobham whose ancestor Lady Lyttelton had been instrumental in setting up a Sunday school on the site.
The Well cost more than £500,000 to build so huge fund-raising efforts were made with the support of 17 churches.
But the Well was in debt when it opened and there was a real concern about cash flow.
There were fears it might not remain solvent but they were worrying about the wrong thing.
The real problem was coping with demand and finding enough food and volunteers to meet their needs.
