A rural church that has offered social dinners during lambing and calving is changing tack to focus on smoko.

Meals at the Hub was run by the Riversdale-Waikaia Presbyterian Church, where farmers and the community gathered around the dinner table to chat over a roast dinner.

The Hub, in Newcastle St, Riversdale, which has a kitchen and meeting spaces, is in the process of being sold.

That, however, did not mark the end of the church holding seasonal community events.

Riversdale-Waikaia Church volunteer Gwen Grimm  said the initiative would continue as a morning tea.

“The morning tea is aimed at a totally different cohort of people,” Mrs Grimm said.

“It’s still an opportunity to come, have a free coffee and some food.”

The morning tea will run every Friday in August from 10am to 11.30am.

The smoko could appeal to retirees and young families, Mrs Grimm said.

Church volunteer Heather Gullick said the smoko was a chance to break the ice. 

“We do live in a small community, but we don’t all know each other, so it’s a good chance to connect,” Mrs Gullick said.

The Riversdale-Waikaka Presbyterian Parish had one church in Riversdale, in Chester St, and one in Waikaia, in Swalwell St.

Both congregations would run the morning tea initiative.

The Waikaka Valley Presbyterian Church, and the Knapdale Waikaka Presbyterian Church, in Otama, also ran similar events. 

The Riversdale Hub was bought by the Waimea Christian Trust in 1974.

The Rural Support Trust, which advertised the Meals at the Hub initiative, ran and promoted regional events that aimed to connect and support rural communities through the strains of lambing and calving.

Their Brunch on Us initiative, which was similar to the Riversdale-Waikaia Church initiative, had been run in Southland communities including Gorge Road, Glenham, Te Anau and Otautau last year. 

gemma.sinclair@alliedmedia.co.nz