Wakefield Cathedral has partnered with its local Age UK for a new café project designed to reach older people in its area who may be feeling isolated or in need of support and advice.
New Cafe Opens at Wakefield Cathedral – a Partnership Project
The café in Wakefield Cathedral’s Treacy Hall has reopened as a not-for-profit café, serving not only tea, coffee, lunch and cakes, but also offering advice, support, and a listening ear to customers.
The cathedral first began to explore the idea of a partnership café in mid-2023. They knew they wanted to re-open their café, which closed after Covid, but with limited resources, were unsure how to proceed.
A spokesperson for the cathedral said,
‘We knew we didn’t want the space to become a purely commercial or profit-driven café. Instead, we wanted something that aligned closely with the Cathedral’s mission and could serve Wakefield in a meaningful way – somewhere with genuine purpose behind it, centred on hospitality, community, wellbeing and support.’
The café officially opened in February and is serving hundreds of people every week.
It opens Tuesday to Saturdays and is run by two Age UK Wakefield District staff members and volunteers, and is serving hundreds of people every week.
Jess Riley, Acting Development Officer at the Cathedral, said:
“There are lots of cafés in Wakefield, and we wanted to create something a little different when the space reopened – somewhere people could find support and fellowship as well as refreshments. We’re very aware that some older people in our community may feel isolated, and it’s been really encouraging to see the café becoming a welcoming and supportive space for them.”
The Dean of Wakefield, the Very Revd Philip Hobday, said:
“Treacy Hall is a much-loved meeting place at the centre of our city and a key part of our purpose to be a centre of Christian hospitality for all. We are thrilled that, working with Age UK Wakefield District, we can now open it even more regularly as a place for good coffee and good conversations for people from across our district.”
