Come here! Free lunch for students!

University meals are really expensive here. In comparison with 1 pound for lunch at my home university, here a normal warm meal costs around 4 pounds and you still get lesser food. And it´s not much economic to spend 4 pounds for lunch every day. It´s much better to cook, if you have the possibility. For students who really don´t have money there is the possibility of free lunch in some of the churches around university. So far I saw at least 3 churches with this service and today I decided to discover what is this all about. Still these free lunches for students seem strange to me. In the Czech Republic I think only people who could get some free food are homeless people, definitely not students.

So I went to the nearby church and they offered me and my friend a 10 cm long hotdog and a little cup with soup. It wasn´t a full lunch, but it was a warm snack and it was for free so why complain. If you sat there long enough, the (mostly older but very nice) ladies from the local parish were going around and inviting you to eat what was left.

My lunch today

Honestly, I´m not sure if this is somehow profitting for them. They have to put quite some money to such activity because there was at least a hundred of students at the time I came. Of course, it is kind of public relations strategy. On every table there were leaflets of different kind. One was inviting us to discuss with a minister of this church in case of any insecurity in terms of faith or just life. And there was another one encouraging us to leave a lovely message to someone on St. Valentines day. This was very strange to me too. Even though it´s nice, I percieve St. Valentines as a commercial feast and if I should show my love to somebody, it should be comming from inside, not from a tradition on some specific day.

Possibility to join a discussion with minister

Valentine´s day 

When leaving, we passed a small library where you could borrow a book of any kind, but mostly about God or something connected with faith. Among others, there was a book about different kinds of dogs and how to take care of them or a book called Jesus and Divorce. Well... I even didn´t know he was married. What is this church about? :D

To conclude, having free lunch is very usefull for students in UK with these prices. For churches it is a good opportunity how to get in touch with the young population all around. If this is the right way how to do it or not I´ll let you decide on your own. But to me it wasn´t pushing experience at all. I think if anybody is in need, he has at least an opportunity where to talk to someone. Or get a warm hot dog.

Little library

Jesus and divorce, law and order...