#84: Belfast Friendship Club - Honest Connection - a podcast by Jim OConnell & Seb Siracusa

When I first moved to Belfast, my housemate mentioned The Belfast Friendship Club to me. He told me this club hosted a weekly event where the sole purpose was the connection with other people in the room. No registration fee, no data collecting – just your first name and where you are from and you’re away. I finally got to visit The Belfast Friendship Club a few months ago and I was struck by how ‘exactly what it says on the tin’ the experience was. A room of people from all over the world, from a wide range of diverse backgrounds who are all currently living in Belfast looking to connect over tea and coffee. In 2022, such a setup is beyond rare. I personally have never come across such a club. I was so impressed by the simplicity and genuineness of it all that I recently asked the co-founder of the Belfast Friendship Club, Stephanie Mitchell and Engagement Officer Trevor to come onto the podcast and talk about the club in more detail. This chat covers the initial starting of the Club, the two rules of the Club, why the gathering provides something different and how it has helped people who have been touched by the club. We also discuss Small Worlds, a project that provides a safe space for participants to meet and engage with people from different parts of the world and to learn about the challenges of being new in Northern Ireland. This is all carefully managed by an experienced facilitator. If you are in the Belfast area and interested in seeing what the Belfast Friendship Club is all about (they meet 7-9 pm every Thursday at Aleksander's/Common Grounds Cafe, 12-24 University Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1GY). If you are not in the Belfast area but inspired by the project, feel free to reach out to Stephanie through the contact details below. All the best,

Belfast Friendship Club website

http://www.belfastfriendshipclub.org

Small Worlds workshop Open Democracy film

https://opendemocracy.net/build-bridges

Be the change: a guide to creating safe and inclusive space

http://www.belfastfriendshipclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Be-the-change-December-2014.pdf

Contact details

Stephanie Mitchell (coordinator/co-founder)

07548 938508

stephanie.mitchell@sbrtr.org.uk (in use until June 2022)

Further episodes of The Earthly Delights Podcast

Further podcasts by Jim O'Connell & Seb Siracusa

Website of Jim O'Connell & Seb Siracusa