Fife Migrants Forum - Conversation Café

A new project led by the Fife International Forum (formerly Fife Migrants Forum) received a welcome funding boost of £3000 in Round 2 of the 2020/2021 Community Fund. 

The Fife International Forum will establish the first Conversational Café in North East Fife specifically for migrant communities, which aims to combat loneliness and promote mental health and wellbeing. The Conversational Café will provide advice and guidance to individuals as well as an informal opportunity for migrant community members to come together to make new friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

Designed to support refugee groups, Roma people and seasonal workers, the Conversational Café will work in partnership with the University's student-led Refugee Action St Andrews (RASA) group and community partners from Cupar to enable members to keep in touch, create social support networks and practice, and gain confidence in English.

The Café format will provide people with access to information and signposting on how to access further education and employment opportunities, and provide advice and support to prevent poverty and increase access to local support services.

Founded by ethnic minority groups who recently arrived in Fife, the Fife International Forum works with its team of volunteers to ensure that Fife is a place where both migrants and local people can celebrate their diversity in a welcoming and safe environment. As well as promoting good community relations, the Forum provides advice and support to alleviate the poverty that many migrants experience, provides and develops mutual support, encourages social integration, and increases participation in public, economic, social and cultural events.

Manager Billy Lynch said: “We are delighted to receive a donation from the University’s Community Fund and with it the opportunity to expand our services to those who need it the most. We have previously centred our Conversational Café approach to Kirkcaldy and Central Fife, but it has always been our ambition to expand this to North East Fife where there are many migrants living.

“The Conversational Café is a means for reducing isolation, encouraging cohesion and integration, and generally enabling access to opportunities and education. This donation allows us to further expand our overall aim, as well as alleviate the poverty that many migrants experience.”

Visit the Fife International Forum Facebook page for more information.