Refugee Café is an innovative charity seeking to help refugees in Lewisham and surrounding areas into employment, particularly in the food and hospitality sector. We started in May 2020 and, despite the challenges of the pandemic, we are well established and have expanding sales at local markets and online. We are about to launch our first training programme for refugee chefs. We are also planning to build a physical café in the heart of Lewisham as a significant new development. Fundraising has been successful and we enjoy considerable support from volunteers in the area. Following this success, we are now looking to recruit new trustees for the next stage of our exciting journey.
Opportunity
We run a series of events and markets, bringing the whole community together to celebrate the amazing culinary cultures in Lewisham – where 12 languages are spoked every square mile!
Employability
We are currently piloting a Hospitality and Employability training programme for local refugees. Participants will gain a foundation in catering in the UK through a series of workshops and individual coaching towards their long-term employment or enterprise goals.
Community
In the future we plan to open a cafe – an eating and meeting space – where our community can come to learn, grow, work and share over amazing food and drinks.
