Celebrating fresh starts: Café 16 marks its fourth Christmas at the Cathedral

Published December 2024

Since opening in August 2021, Café 16 in Newcastle Cathedral’s refectory has cemented its place as an integral part of the Cathedral and the wider community. The core mission of the Oswin Project, the Northumberland charity that runs the café, is to provide meaningful employment pathways and skill-building opportunities for individuals with criminal records who are ready to turn their lives around.

Over the past year, the café has welcomed a visit from Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in May and national media coverage highlighting its mission. Through the Oswin Project’s partnership with the Cathedral, the café has become a welcoming space for various community groups, including a group of folk musicians and artists and many groups and individuals supported by the Cathedral’s Lantern Initiative.

Pictures: Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales

For many ‘Oswinners’ – team members from the Oswin Project – Café 16 is more than a workplace; it’s a fresh start. Those who begin working with the Oswin Project inside HMP Northumberland may join the café team on day-release or after their sentences. The Café’s assistant manager is one such example, having followed this pathway.

On Friday 20 December, Café 16 will partner with Changing Lives to support the national charity’s North East Christmas Meal Appeal. Oswinners will prepare and serve meals in the café to support people facing homelessness, unemployment, addiction and other challenges. Changing Lives invites the public to donate £5 to provide a warm meal.

The Oswin Project’s support is especially resonant when prison leavers often face the risk of homelessness without the stability of employment.

In October, three Oswinners spoke on BBC Radio 4’s evening programme. ‘Kenny’ said, “Lots of people I know who’ve left prison are homeless now; sometimes you’re better off in jail because you’re in a hostile environment… Who’s gonna employ you? When you say (you’re homeless), they’re just going to write us off. The Oswin Project and others make a huge difference; they provide a step forward.”

The Oswin Project’s other initiatives include a second café at HMP Northumberland, a farm shop, and a bicycle repair shop, Changing the Cycle, which opened in August 2024. Café 16 is also offering three-course festive meals throughout December for the public to pre-order at £25 per person.

Below, you can watch an Advent reflection by Fiona Sample MBE, the CEO of the Oswin Project.