Far more than just a cafe

A NEWCASTLE community cafe which started with the aim of combating loneliness and isolation has celebrated its 10th anniversary.

- By DANIEL HALL

Run entirely by volunteers, the Forum Cafe in Shieldfield was launched in 2015, as a response to the closure of the Queen’s Arms pub the previous year.

Back then, its home on Wretham Place was full of empty lots. However, a decade on and it’s an eclectic mix of businesses, with a Hong Kong style bakery, a bubble tea shop, and a social enterprise bakery loved by the Hairy Bikers’ Si King for its stot-ties.

The Forum Cafe has cemented its place as a meeting point for people of all ages and backgrounds, as well as a number of local community organisations including Shieldfield Artworks, Dwellbeing and the Newbridge Project.