Open Door Warminster's Story

Open Door was founded during the pandemic to tackle loneliness and isolation in the town and surrounding villages. Since then, they have received four grants from us, with their most recent grant supporting their Chat Cafés while helping the organisation grow, develop, and respond to changing needs, as Deborah Gogarty, co-founder, explains:

“We were set up in 2020 by a group of six people who wanted to do something to alleviate loneliness. The Covid lockdowns shone a spotlight on the issue, so when a local restaurant offered us their space during the day, we simply opened the doors and welcomed people in.

“We started with a lot of goodwill, but gradually the economic realities of running a support group kicked in. We realised we needed funding if we wanted to provide a sustainable service. Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation gave us the seed funding we needed. We weren’t even a registered charity then, just a group determined to help — and the Foundation trusted us.

“We quickly came to realise how varied people’s experiences of loneliness are. Some had just moved to the area, others were adjusting to life after bereavement, some were living with cancer, and some simply felt disconnected from their communities. To meet these needs, we developed our Chat Cafés — safe spaces to connect, share stories, and build confidence.

“The impact can be life-changing. One participant, living with addiction, wrote to tell us they had been sober for a year because of coming to us, signing off saying ‘you have literally saved my life’.

“As the number of guests grew, we moved to a bigger location to accommodate more people, and our costs increased. We also invested in communications, to let people know we’re here and reach them in different ways.

“A Community Grant supported half of our budget for the year, giving us the stability to keep going and the confidence to plan ahead. Most importantly, it has allowed us to continue offering a space where people feel comfortable, valued, and supported.”

Read Warminster Open Door's story in full in our 2024/25 Annual Review, by clicking here.