Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley at Seven Bridges Café

Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley recently visited The Seven Bridges Café and joined one of our regular communal lunches to celebrate Refugee Week.

Bishop Helen-Ann took part in conversations on everything from faith and lived experience to football and the World Cup. She also heard about some of the challenges currently facing refugees and people seeking asylum in our region, including the inability to work while waiting for decisions, difficulties accessing English language learning, and the impact of reduced ESOL provision at a time when demand remains high.

As the head of the Diocese, Bishop Helen-Ann's visit was important both to WERS and our clients. WERS Chief Executive Andy Durma reflected on the visit, saying: “We were delighted to welcome Bishop Helen-Ann and to create a space for real conversation over a shared meal. Food has a way of helping people open up and for us the afternoon reflected something at the heart of welcome: listening generously and meeting people as neighbours."

The Seven Bridges Café is a collaborative project between West End Refugee Service (WERS) and Dance City, where WERS clients can receive training and opportunities, whilst sharing their cultures through both discussion and food.

The Seven Bridges Café provides more than a place to pick up a coffee. It gives WERS clients a place to pay homage to their culture through cooking, and a space where people of all backgrounds can come to be a part of a community.