Burgess Hill Salvation Army opens new community café

People in Burgess Hill are being invited to a new community café which has been opened at The Salvation Army church in the town.

Majors Bramwell and Rhonda Hayes, leaders of the local branch of the church and charity, recently invited special guests to an opening ceremony for the new café at their church on Cyprus Road.

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

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 . We’d like to hear what the community needs and will do our best to respond to this. We’re seeing people come in we haven’t seen before and we are here to support everyone.”

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 burgess.hill@salvationarmy.org.uk for more information.