The CEO of a charity that has just opened a new cafe in Reading has defended it following a backlash.
The Sanctuary Cafe at the Reading International Solidarity Centre in London Street has been opened by the Refugee Support Group.
The space was previously occupied by the Global Café, which has been closed for several years.
The Sanctuary Café has two functions – as a café and a support centre for refugees and asylum seekers.
The cafe will be open to the public every weekday from 8am to 2pm, serving freshly prepared meals and speciality coffee made by refugee chefs, cooks and baristas.
During August, it is also open to the public on Saturdays from 8am to 4pm, and will be open on Sundays in September as well.
Then, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm the cafe is open for the Refugee Support Group clients to get the assistance they need.
Najwa Abdallah, the CEO of the charity, said: “It’s a space that everyone is welcome to.
“It’s a melting pot, an integration pot for everyone, whoever you are, whatever your belief is, whatever your skin colour is, you’re welcome to be here.
“From 8am to 2pm, we serve nice food, coffee, and drinks. You will be welcomed with a nice smile.
“And then in the afternoon, it’s a space where we deliver our services, and where clients can come in and have a drink as well.
“They can come here, have a chat with their friends, and make new friends.
“And then we provide them with the services. ‘So we ask, what is it you’re here for? What do you need help with? They might say, OK, I need a referral to the food bank, or I need a referral to register my children at school, or I need help to get my papers in order, or I need help someone to show me how to register with a GP.’
“So we provide the help to them.”
Staff and volunteers serve a range of hot and iced coffees, soft drinks and fresh cakes.
The café has a plaque dedicated to Alice Driver, a charity supporter who died aged 28 of a brain tumour in 2019.
The plaque states: “Try to be good to each other, all of you. Be brave, and be the kindest human beings you can be.”
Her parents continue to be advocates for the charity.
Sadly, there have been disparaging comments toward the café on social media.
It has been made clear that customers will pay for food and drinks like any other cafe, rather than false claims that these would be supplied for free.
Every purchase directly supports Refugee Support Group’s work helping refugees and people seeking asylum rebuild their lives.
There have also been threats which have been reported to Thames Valley Police.
Mrs Abdallah said: “One of the comments says, ‘oh, I hope women are allowed to come to this cafe’. I’m a brown woman, and I’m leading this organisation.”
The cafe is welcoming to all during its public opening hours.
The charity will use the space to focus on its six core priorities, which are to provide legal support; assist with integration; support resettlement; enable social and economic mobility; improve the mental health and wellbeing of clients; and protect them from modern-day slavery and exploitation.
Councillor Paul Gittings (Labour, Coley), the Mayor of Reading, has chosen the Refugee Support Group as one of the charities he is fundraising for.
You can find out how to donate online.
