37,000 people call the phone line for prayer

A FREE phone line offering hymns, prayers and reflections to tens of thousands of callers after churches closed because of coronavirus is to continue, despite moves to ease the lockdown restrictions.

Daily Hope, launched in April by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has now received 173,000 calls from more than 37,000 people, with calls topping more than two million minutes.

The service was set up as a simple new way to bring worship and prayer into people’s homes, especially older people and anyone unable to join online church services.

Archbishop Welby said it had proved a lifeline for regular church attenders – and those who were not.

He said: “I look forward to seeing how Daily Hope can go from strength to strength as lockdown restrictions are eased.”