Sharing the love of Jesus - a dental nurses story

By Paula Taylor

There is a wonderful charity in Liverpool called the Toxteth Women’s Centre (TWC). To my shame, I only became aware of it last year. Our church was hosting a women’s conference, and we wanted to financially support a local Christian organisation working with women. That’s when I first heard about TWC.

A clear call from God

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending a couple of events celebrating TWC’s 15th anniversary—yes, it’s been around for that long! The centre was founded by a woman who felt a clear call from God to serve the women of Toxteth, an area known for the 1981 riots. She moved to Liverpool from elsewhere in England in obedience to that call, and the vision became reality.

TWC’s mission is to show and share the love of Jesus with women, many of whom are refugees or asylum seekers through ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages) food delivery from Pret A Manger and practical support.

One of the events I attended was a powerful prayer gathering that opened a weekend of celebration, followed by a charity concert featuring the Liverpool Rock Choir. Before all this, I had already connected with one of the trustees, and through our conversations, I discovered they had long been hoping to bring in someone with a dental health background.

I had been personally praying for opportunities to serve the Lord, unsure what that would look like. But when I heard their need, I knew I had to offer.

I’ve been a dental nurse for 43 years—how could I not respond?

I arranged to visit TWC on a Tuesday, my day off work. When I arrived, there were around 25 women in an upstairs group and about 30 downstairs—so I gave two talks! They had asked me to speak for an hour, which I doubted I could manage, mainly due to nerves and the challenge of the language barrier, as all of the women were attending ESOL classes.

I spoke slowly and paused often for questions. My topic was gum disease and tooth decay, to prevent both, especially in their children. I also shared practical advice based on my day-to-day experiences in the Community Dental Service. The women were really engaged and asked thoughtful questions. I prepared simple handouts with tips on sugar-free snacks and basic gum and tooth care. I was also able to send my electronic notes, so they could translate them if needed.

Right up to date my friend, Cathy, who is a trustee and also has a ESOL class, has been following up my talk along with encouraging the women to have conversations about teeth, with what they learnt about the dental health talk- around sugar intake and good sugar free snacks to eat.

TWC does an amazing job. As a charity, they rely on donations and funding to keep supporting these women and their families. Their work is deeply needed and a true expression of God’s love in action.