A church in Clerkenwell has launched an ‘International Cafe’ initiative in an effort to combat loneliness and help those in the area connect with one another.
The non-religious project aims to bring together those who have moved to the area from all over the world and will run every Sunday afternoon at St James’ Church. Mary Girma, Outreach Minister for the church, believes that the initiative is particularly important given the “highly transient nature” of the local area.
High rents and short tenancies discourage bonds between people, according to Ms Girma: “People move out of Central London a lot, and a lot of tenants move in. People are always changing, so they are more and more unwilling to make connections because they are not lasting.”
The church is therefore seeking to bring this disparate community together. “Out of 15,000 residents in our parish, 60% are immigrants. The biggest need, I find, is just loneliness. People don’t feel like they know their neighbours.” Ms Girma said.
A 2020 profile report found that loneliness in Clerkenwell among over-65s was higher than the rest of Islington, and the area had a higher-than-average number of people living alone.
Dave Barnard, a member of mental health charity Minds Matter Islington, said that overseas students in the area faced similar challenges with loneliness: “If you’ve moved away from home, there’s a lot of isolation, there’s a lot of anxiety.”
