Salvation Army opens new Community Café in Burgess Hill: deputy mayor welcomes 'tremendous hub' for town

The Salvation Army Community Café is in Cyprus Road and offers food, drink and a place to talk.

Majors Bramwell and Rhonda Hayes, leaders of the local branch of the church and charity, invited special guests to an opening ceremony at the Cyprus Road café on Friday, April 5.

Rhonda said she hoped people from across the town would drop into the new café which is open on Fridays from 10am to 12pm.

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She explained: “There are a number of cafes in the town already but we wanted to offer a little bit extra. We want our café to be a relaxed place where the public could come and take a break from their busy lives, play board games and have a chat.”

As well as a selection of drinks and light snacks, visitors will also be able to take advantage of free health checks offered by Nuffield Health once a month.

Rhonda said visitors to the café would also able to find out more about what The Salvation Army in Burgess Hill offers.

She said: “We can help in other areas such as spiritual advice and also help people manage the cost of living. A listening ear can be extremely valuable and, if needed, we can speak to people in a confidential, safe space and also signpost to other organisations if needed.”

Tofojjul Hussain, deputy mayor of Burgess Hill, opened the new café and said he was delighted to be invited to do so.

He said: “The Salvation Army plays a very important role and do a lot for the town and I’m very happy to be here on the occasion of opening their community café.”

The Salvation Army is at 34 Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill. Call 01444 235561 or email [email protected] for more information.

The Salvation Army is a registered charity worldwide Christian church that aims to fight against social inequality. They have around 650 churches and community centres where they offer help and support and work to tackle issues like homelessness, modern slavery, poverty and addiction.