Peace Hub
Peter Doubtfire describes the work of the centre in Birmingham
‘Do you do dry-cleaning?’ Of all the questions we’d anticipated when starting up a Quaker peace and justice centre, this was not on the list, but it came up surprisingly often.
Peace Hub is a café-style space that helps the public find out about different aspects of peace and justice, and takes action. Based in a shop-front in Birmingham city centre (formerly occupied by Johnson’s dry cleaners) it took the locals a little while to get used to our presence. Nearly four years on, we’re becoming an established part of this corner of ‘Brum’.
Our current theme is ‘A Place to Call Home’, all about housing and homelessness. The number of people rough-sleeping is deeply troubling and had often come up in conversations at the Hub. As with all our themes, we’re taking an issue that people feel overwhelmed by and breaking it down into simple actions.
Drawing on the work of organisations with expertise in this field (in particular the Big Issue and Shelter) we’re presenting the public with personal stories of people affected by homelessness.
Chatting over a cup of tea, we can gently introduce some of the underlying problems around housing, and offer people an immediate action they can take: supporting the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill currently being considered by MPs. Information on volunteering with local homeless charities is also available.
Each of our two-month themes comes under the umbrella of ‘peace and justice’ and the connection between ‘A Place to Call Home’ and our last theme all about mental health and wellbeing couldn’t be clearer. In ‘Speak, Listen, Change’ we shared stories aimed at breaking down stigma, and called for improvements to the welfare assessments that people with mental health problems have to go through.
We also offered tips on staying mentally healthy: an interactive ‘wheel of wellbeing’ placed on our front step proved popular with passers-by. Collaborating with our sister organisation Peacemakers brought groups of school children to the Peace Hub to develop skills in supporting each other’s mental wellbeing. Flowers and herbs planted by the children during their visit have brought cheer to staff, volunteers and visitors alike.
Those visitors include a mixture of people who are already interested in peace and justice, alongside passers-by who ask ‘what’s this all about then?’ We don’t mind how you arrive on our doorstep – we’re here to welcome you into a growing community of people who care, and are willing to take action.
We also have visits from people who have fallen through society’s cracks, and do our best to signpost them to services that can give practical help, as well as offering a cup of tea and a listening ear ourselves.
We’re proud to be a Quaker organisation, and want to let people know that Peace Hub is rooted in the testimonies and putting our faith into practise, but it’s not always easy to do this whilst making clear that we’re open to everyone. Indeed, our biggest challenge is to let people know at a glance that the Hub is a space where they will be welcomed and listened to, not told what to think. In our individualistic consumer society, many assume that charities are about the ‘worthy’ giving to the ‘needy’.
The idea that this is collaboration where we can all play our part is tricky to communicate in a distraction-filled world, but it’s a worthwhile message, and one that we’ll keep sharing. We may not be able to dry-clean your clothes, but we will help you become part of a compassionate community. So, why not pop in, get a cuppa and make a difference?
Peter is coordinator of the Peace Hub.
