The Peace Hub is the exciting new project created by the Central England Quakers charity; one of four which The Priory Rooms Meeting and Conference Centre profits contribute towards. Last month they celebrated their opening with a special launch day. Local representatives from faith groups, the public sector and peace workers attended to support the new community project.

During the day Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Mike Leddy and Lord Lieutenant Paul Sabapthy met local school children taking part in educational activities at the Peace Hub. These were led by the Central England Quakers’ project Peacemakers who are based on the first floor above the Hub. Peacemakers work with local schools to help build more peaceful communities by delivering training to adults and children in skills such as peer mediation and conflict resolution. At the launch day the children enjoyed fun interactive workshops designing posters and playing games to learn about fair-trade. Fair-trade was the Peace Hubs’ first community campaign; including rallying support for a petition for local supermarkets to stock more fair-trade goods.

Peace-Hub-Launch-2.jpgOn the evening the High Sheriff for West Midlands Tim Watts and his wife joined a crowd of enthusiastic guests who work on peace and justice initiatives. The group watched an inspiring presentation outlining how the Peace Hub plan to promote their peace building projects in Birmingham by working with the local community. Held in The Priory Rooms’ Main Meeting House, the guest speaker was Matthew Burnett-Stuart who introduced the Hubs’ next campaign; conscientious objection. In 2014 Matthew was awarded one of three UK Peace worker placements funded by Quaker Peace and Social Witness to support organisations working for peace at the local, national and international level.

Peace-Hub-Launch-1.jpgPeter Doubtfire, the Peace Hub Co-ordinator, was overjoyed by the diverse group of people who came to the launch and the opportunity it had created to build new relationships within the local area, “Now that we are “officially launched”, I’m looking forward to the Hub progressing and working with the community. I hope all that attended are too!”  

The Peace Hub is located next door to The Priory Rooms in the heart of Birmingham city centre. Pop in for a coffee to find out how to get involved! http://www.peacehub.org.uk/