I hate being cold and I’m irrationally terrified of sharks, but in aid of a place /building/community that does so much good for so many people, I’m going to swim in the sea (no wetsuits allowed) every day throughout October. Please help keep me accountable (pressurise me into doing this), by donating anything you can to the 101 Community Kitchen appeal.

More details below:

101 Donegall St is a beautiful, historic building located in the vibrant Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, a diverse neighbourhood featuring Belfast Cathedral and St. Patrick's Church, the LGBT community, bustling businesses, coffee shops and Ulster Universities new city campus with over 10,000 students.

101 is home to a number of groups that form ‘The 101 Community’ including Redeemer Central — a diverse and vibrant church community, The Long Table — a weekly community meal with room for everyone, and Anaka Women’s Collective — a charity supporting and advocating for women and children navigating the asylum system.

The building is used daily with over 300 people through its doors each week through a variety of events or activities. Together our shared vision is to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive place that feels like home, where people know they matter and they belong.

~ The Campaign ~

As with any old building there is plenty of work and upkeep needed and one of the biggest challenges at present is that unfortunately the kitchen facilities are not fit for purpose.

We would like to completely refurbish and install a new, professional-grade kitchen to allow the current activities to both continue and expand even further. So far we have raised £31k from our target total of £45k. This is where you can help! We are running this fundraising campaign and we’d love your help to reach our target.

How will a new kitchen help?

A new kitchen facility will enable:

— The Long Table to expand beyond Friday evenings to more meal sittings during the week at various times (e.g. weekday lunches/additional evenings) allowing a reach to more people and at times of the week that work best for them.

— An increase in capacity for more meals served in each sitting, again allowing us to reach more people and at times of the week that work best for them.

— The opening up of a community fridge initiative on-site that allows people to pick up and collect fresh food and pre-cooked meals throughout the week.

— The eventual opening of a cafe that will offer pay-as-you-can-afford options and generate regular income that enables The Long Table to operate sustainably.

— The ability for Anaka to expand their events and programs with meals cooking and serving cuisines from the many food cultures represented.

—So many more opportunities to welcome and bless our city with hospitality, particularly the most vulnerable in our society.

~ About The Long Table ~

In January 2023, in response to the cost-of-living crisis and the mental health impacts of Covid, we launched The Long Table. Every Friday evening, a team of volunteers from both the church community and beyond prepares a nutritious meal and shares it with those who come to enjoy the sense of community. Over the last 18 months a beautiful community has developed with 40-50 people each week enjoying food together.

Most of the food served is part of the Fareshare reduce waste campaign, and we also provide food for guests to take home. Initially, the team was made up solely of church members, but we have since expanded to include volunteers from another church community, as well as former guests who now assist in cooking and serving.

Throughout the week, volunteers source food from local supermarkets, and on Friday evenings, the church is transformed into a warm and welcoming dining room. In addition to sharing meals, the team offers friendship, connection, and guidance to other services that may support our more vulnerable guests. Our volunteers range in age—from a ten-year-old girl who comes with her mother to more senior members. Most work full-time and generously give up their Friday nights to serve the marginalised and lonely.

With increasing food waste options available our heart is to expand the ministry and reach out further by hosting more meals each week, setting up a community fridge on site and, in time, opening a cafe that will offer pay-as-you-can-afford options and generate regular income that enables The Long Table to operate sustainably.

A new fit-for-purpose kitchen is key to opening up these plans and enabling the next chapter of The Long Table story.

~ About Anaka Women’s Collective ~

Anaka is a Belfast-based women's collective, led by women with direct experience of the asylum system. They use their skills to educate, support, advocate for, and celebrate one another.

Founded in 2019, this independent project brings together women from minority ethnic backgrounds to foster community. It provides safe, mutually supportive spaces where women can organise, share and develop skills, and celebrate their contributions.

Anaka envisions a future where all women have equal opportunities and the freedom to live with dignity, while accessing economic, social, educational, cultural, and health-promoting resources for themselves and their families.

Anaka strives to remain autonomous and adaptable to the evolving needs of its members. By uplifting each other, they aim to pioneer alternative income and food sources. Their goal is to become a transformative, growing network that fosters a supportive, inclusive, and sustainable community.

~ About Redeemer Central ~

Redeemer Central is a diverse and vibrant church of approximately 100 adults and children, practicing the way of Jesus through simple, intentional, and inclusive community. We gather every Sunday at 101 Donegall Street to worship together, and throughout the week in smaller, local groups called ‘Tables.’

Our community is made up of people from all walks of life, coming together to form a family. We believe that every person—regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, or sexuality—is made in God's image, with equal worth, and is deserving of love, respect, and dignity. Everyone is welcome.

We strive to be a community that fosters understanding, encourages curiosity, and explores the big questions of life, faith, and what it means to be human with humility.

Our faith compels us to serve others, work for the common good, and advocate for those in need or without a voice. We love Belfast and are committed to the peace and well-being of our city. We express this by supporting families in need through our Farmbox initiative, and by hosting *The Long Table*, a weekly community meal providing free, nutritious food to anyone who attends.

In addition, Redeemer Central manages 101 Donegall Street and opens the space to the wider community, particularly charities and grassroots groups that share our values. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment that feels like home, where people know they matter and belong.