Our Vision
Our Mission
The Centre was born out of a desire to see the Community impacted and transformed by God’s love. Our new vision statement highlights this original aim. All that we seek to do is shaped by the vision. To see God’s love, healing and hope bring change and transformation to our local Communities, for the families and individuals who make up these Communities. Our Staff and volunteers provide a welcoming environment for people of all ages, backgrounds, faiths and abilities. We offer a listening ear, provide support and encouragement when needed and seek to connect people together for further help and support. We enjoy sharing our life journey together in the daily joys and struggles that we all experience, often over a cup of freshly brewed coffee and some homemade cake.
The History of the Centre
In 1997 Reverend David Lawrence, the Vicar at St Michael’s Church, took a group of people from St Michael’s, Whaddon Methodist Church and Whaddon community to visit a mining town in Wales. David had read about how a local Church was serving the community after the closure of the mine. What they saw was a laundrette, community shop, youth groups and a credit union all under one roof. It was here that the vision of The Cornerstone Centre was borne. Whaddon Methodist Church received a substantial sum of money after a fire destroyed their Church building in 1996. They chose to invest that money into building The Cornerstone Centre which was open in September 2003. The Methodist Church had a community charity shop called the Care Shop and relocated to be part of the weekly Cornerstone Timetable alongside soup lunch and the laundrette.
When Covid hit in 2020 the Centre was faced with either furloughing its staff and waiting until the storm passed or adapting and staying operational during the pandemic. We stayed operational, present, online, on doorsteps, on Zoom, bring food to people’s doors, fitness classes down wifi connections and words of encouragement every day on Facebook. There was no way a mere pandemic would stop us loving our community.
Today, in 2025, the Centre looks a little different! We have over 350 people visiting us a week. We no longer have a launderteer or computer room. THe Care shop is floiurishing, and is open everyday with bargains galore! The cafe is also open daily and you can order anything from a simple cup of tea to a hot choclate with marshmellows and cream!
Alongside a change in the services and activitieis offered the staffing has changed a bit too! With a HUGE team of 7 members of staff it’s the biggest its ever been and as always the heart of cornerstone and the man power is in our fantastic volunteers!
Get Moving Whaddon
Cornerstone Cupboard
Custard
community
Little Pebbles
