Interfaith tea room celebrates its second birthday in Milton Keynes

The monthly pop up café - run by Muslim women involving the wider community – provides space with good food to encourage interfaith dialogue and relationships. The proceeds from each event are donated to local charities.

Trubys Garden Tea Room builds and fosters positive relationships with the local Muslim and wider community within Milton Keynes encouraging an interfaith approach to tackle wider issues within the local community.

The inclusive and creative nature of the Tea Room has led to such diverse initiatives as supporting the homeless, supporting the local Red Cross in their work of settling the new refugee families to Milton Keynes and enhancing volunteering opportunities for the local community.

Trubys Garden Tea Room opened its doors in November 2014 at the Milton Keynes Muslim Association’s Islamic Centre in Coffee Hall and helped to raise much needed money for the Centre as well as providing an opportunity for the wider community to learn about the beauty of Islam. It currently operates from the Guildhall, Church of Christ the Cornerstone and welcomes offers of venues to host the Tea Room in future.

More than 150 people attended on Saturday, including Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga, Ministerial Team Leader from the Church of Christ the Cornerstone; the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Cllr David Hopkins and Mrs Susan Hopkins, and the Syrian Refugees families settled in Milton Keynes for an afternoon tea as its esteemed guests.

A local Nasheed Artist Khaleel Muhammed entertained everyone with some songs and Diabetes UK kindly provided two members from their team to provide free information and advice on the day.

The Guildhall was transformed into a traditional English Tea Room with lovely pink table cloths, fresh flowers and vintage crockery. Everyone attending was served by Trubys Garden Tea Room friendly waitresses.

“Trubys Gardens Tea Room is a wonderful and creative initiative by a group of dedicated Muslim women,” said Father Ernseto.

“We are delighted that they celebrated their second anniversary in the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, offering wonderful hospitality in the form of delicious food and homemade cakes. They deserved all our support and encouragement to keep going. Congratulations and well done!”

If anyone would like to host Trubys Garden Tea Room contact [email protected] More information on the Tea Room can be found at https://www.facebook.com/trubysgardentearoom/