Most of the Eastbourne Churches will be familiar with the work of Sanctuary Cafe over the past 6 years – ie supporting Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and other immigrants who are in Eastbourne.
However, the ministry has grown considerably in recent months – we are now a registered ‘Community Interest Company’ (The Sanctuary, Eastbourne CIC) in our own right (ie no longer a ministry under the umbrella of Kings Church, Hampden Park, to whom we remain very grateful for all their support in enabling us to become established and to grow in line with the need), and the use of 4 hotels in Eastbourne by the Home Office for currently over 300 asylum seekers has added new challenges, in terms of the increased numbers of people we now serve, and to our endeavours to help meet their needs. One consequence has been that we have needed to separate off the English Language Classes, previously held as part of our Friday drop-in at All Souls Church, and these are now held on Thursdays at The Way (formerly the Christian Resource Centre, on Seaside Road), and also at the Eastbourne Library.
We see an average of 60 guests at the Thursday English Language Classes, and from 80-100+ at the Friday drop-in. Eighteen months ago, the number was closer to 20/25!
We have been privileged to refer a number of our guests to Eastbourne Churches (and had the joy of attending some subsequent baptisms!), and we have provided many Farsi Bibles, and other Christian literature, to our Afghan and Iranian guests.
My purpose in writing to you is to say we would love the opportunity to share, for five or ten minutes – perhaps during morning church Services – and bring the local churches up-to-date regarding this unique and challenging ministry. Any church interested can contact me at <gahorsnell@hotmail.com> or on 07484 152210, and I’ll be delighted to arrange for myself, or one of our other directors, to come.
Every blessing
Graham Horsnell
Director
The Sanctuary, Eastbourne