Our impact

Warmer Spaces, winter 2025/26

The Forum Café is a community-centred café based in the heart of Shieldfield, in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne. We are completely volunteer-run and have been in operation since 2015 — more than ten years.

We provide an invaluable resource for our local community, with regular opening hours alongside partnership work with neighbouring organisations including Dwellbeing Shieldfield, The NewBridge Project, the Shieldfield Community Chefs, Star and Shadow Cinema, and Big River Bakery.

For the winter of 2025 we received financial support from Newcastle City Council to remain open throughout the winter holiday period. Below is a selection of the feedback we gathered from our community, showing how the Forum — as a space for warmth, connection and support — made a difference.

From our community

"I live up in the high rise and I have dark times when I'm lonely, coming here in the winter has kept me sane."

"Between Christmas and New Year can be such an empty time, but here I always find friendly faces. It is the only place where I feel truly welcomed and not rushed."

"I usually dread the holidays because I am on my own, but this café changed everything. The atmosphere was cosy, the conversations were kind, and I felt part of something again."

"It felt like spending time with family."

"When the Forum Café turns its light on it gives the area a warmth, especially during the winter time. When the Forum Café opens its welcoming door, conversation begins. When the Forum Café puts its kettle on, it cares for our neighbours and friends."

"The café gave me somewhere to go when the days felt long and quiet. I walked in feeling lonely and walked out feeling seen. The warmth, the smiles, the cup of tea waiting for me — it felt like home."

"I came in for a coffee and found companionship. The staff and volunteers made me feel valued. I am so grateful this place was open when everywhere else felt closed."

"The Forum operates as more than a warm space; it is a space where neighbours start to form community. … People from all walks of life meet there for companionship and community. … It is impossible to spend more than 5 minutes in the Forum without being welcomed into the conversation and community."

"I have been part of groups who meet at the Forum for gatherings which simply would not have had anywhere else to convene … spontaneous gatherings after litter picks where people from Sudan, Ethiopia, Turkey, Poland, Nigeria, Kenya, and Cuba have shared food and celebrated small victories together."

"The volunteers understand that the tiny rituals matter … a warm welcome is built through consistency and care, not grand gestures. … In a neighbourhood with virtually no affordable third spaces, the Forum provides a vital role, at the hub of the community."

"Being alone over the holidays is tough, but here I felt cared for. Someone always checked in, offered a biscuit, asked how I was. That meant more than they know."

"A warm room and warm hearts."

"I didn't feel alone this Christmas."

From our volunteers

"As a volunteer I feel encouraged that the Council values what we do in Shieldfield and put money into us for winter openings. New people came today (31st Dec) including a lady and her dog — and we have a special bowl for the dog to have a drink too."

"It was great to volunteer at the warm hub at the Forum Café over the Christmas period. It can be a lonely time but there was a real sense of welcome and community. Warm smiles, hot drinks and food, lively conversation, fun and laughter. The Forum Café is a wonderful resource."

"The Forum Café has been so incredibly helpful and welcoming for me. Jill and everyone at Forum Café are so incredibly caring, and do so much for a range of people in the area."

"Having a warm space to give folk a cuppa and a chance to socialise makes a huge positive contribution for a lot of people. … It is the sort of place where, because of its rootedness in the community, a little bit of money goes a really long way."

Case study: the Memory Café

The Memory Café — a drop-in afternoon tea and creative workshop — provides a dementia-friendly space at the Forum Café. A partnership with The NewBridge Project, it's a relaxed space where adults can socialise and unwind in a welcoming, comfortable setting.

"One of our older attendees who lives alone has been to the Forum Café three times this winter. They have mild dementia. It is a place they can easily get to on their own and socialise with others."

"There are several attendees who are vulnerable because of their neurodiversity. Some have attended with support workers. Some are now confident to attend independently … as they attend regularly and feel safe."

"Memory Café has a couple of attendees whose mental health can fluctuate. The group is continually learning and understanding their ups and downs. They always return knowing they will not be judged."