THE North West Migrants Forum is to open a new ‘Intercultural Community Café’ in Derry after being awarded £175,102 through the PEACEPLUS programme.
Set to be developed on the second floor of the Embassy Building at 3 Strand Road, the café will create a space where the city and district’s growing multi-culturalism can be celebrated and community integration enhanced.
The ambitious project is being supported by PEACEPLUS which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). It is being funded through Derry City and Strabane District Council’s PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan.
Speaking at the launch of the café in Brooke Park on Saturday, Chief Executive of the North West Migrants Forum, Lilian Seenoi Barr, said her vision was for a safe and welcoming venue where international protection applicants, those granted sanctuary, migrants, international students and those from a black and minority ethnic background can meet and engage with the wider community on a casual but enlightening basis.
Mrs Barr said, “We are very excited to be announcing our Intercultural Café and we are indebted to PEACEPLUS for looking favourably on our funding application.
“This project will see an unused premises in the heart of the city transformed into a busy, welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can come together to celebrate cultural diversity and where community cohesion can be strengthened.”
Work on the Intercultural Café is expected to begin before September.
On a practical level it will comprise a working training kitchen and seating area where:
• Weekly ‘Drop-in and Catch-up’ sessions will take place three days a week. These sessions will create a relaxed and informal environment where new and settled residents from minoritised communities and Northern Ireland’s traditional communities can connect, build friendships and share knowledge.
• Opportunities will be offered to under-represented communities including black and minoritised individuals as well as the long-term unemployed. Over the course of two years and in conjunction with the North West Regional College, the North West Migrants Forum will train 30 individuals in menu planning, health and safety, food hygiene and first aid – The aim being to prepare them should they choose to join the catering and hospitality sector.
• Understanding and awareness of race-related issues will be fostered, promoting empathy and inclusivity in the workplace and in community settings.
• Those from NI’s traditional communities and those new to the north west can learn to appreciate cultural difference, learn to avoid cultural misunderstanding and become culturally conscious.
Lilian Seenoi Barr said the café marks a new chapter in the life of the charity she established in 2012.
“When I started the North West Migrants Forum 12 years ago the aim was to build a society that treats black, racialised and minoritised communities, refugees and those seeking asylum with respect, fairness and equality.
“We have made huge strides towards that goal but our Intercultural Café will be an entirely new chapter for us and for the city and district. It will provide a physical space where individuals of all backgrounds and faiths can come together and where strong connections resulting in community-led transformation can be forged.”
Speaking in Belfast recently, Mrs Barr urged politicians to start promoting the “economic benefits that migrants and minoritised communities make”. A large percentage of the £175,102 PEACEPLUS money will go back into the local economy, a fact the Migrants Forum Chief Executive said should not be overlooked.
“We are going to be working with a local contractor so that will mean jobs created in the city. I feel it is an important to point to make, that this is not just money going to the North West Migrants Forum and its members, it is money being awarded to a local charity which in turn is spending locally and supporting locally.
“I want to thank our landlord for allowing us to make what will be significant changes to the property.
“And finally I would take this opportunity to thank Sue Divin and her team at Derry City and Strabane District Council for their support throughout the application process. They made themselves available at every opportunity and their knowledge, guidance and patience were instrumental in getting this project over the line.”