New internet café opens in Pendle following a near £80,000 grant from The National Lottery

By Sam Quine
Published 7th May 2024, 10:47 BST
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The café will help refugees develop their IT skills as well as serve as a place to socialise!

A charity which supports asylum seekers and refugees has opened a new internet café in East Lancashire to teach them new IT skills.

Pendle New Neighbours (PNN) has opened the computer hub at Suite 203, Pendle Business Centre, Commercial Road, Nelson.

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The National Lottery Community Fund has helped to pay for the café with a £78,971 grant which will fund eight computers and two part-time supervisors.

The Pendle New Neighbours team at the launch of the internet café.The Pendle New Neighbours team at the launch of the internet café.
The Pendle New Neighbours team at the launch of the internet café.

Opened on Friday, it will help asylum seekers and refugees in Pendle to learn basic IT skills which will help to improve their self-confidence and life opportunities.

The café will be open from 1pm to 4pm every weekday and will feature a room for teaching sessions as well as a room to relax and have a coffee.

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IT sessions will be supervised by a qualified member of staff who will teach attendees basic computer skills.

These skills include the ability to chat with friends and family, to seek information about education and jobs and to check travel arrangements.

A look at where the PNN café is located.A look at where the PNN café is located.
A look at where the PNN café is located.

PNN was established in 2016 to provide care and support to asylum seekers and refugees living in the Pendle area. 

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The charity does this by offering advice, English classes, trips to UK cities and towns and relief of poverty by making small grants from other organisations.

Mary Thomas, who is chair of Pendle New Neighbours trustees, said: “We are very grateful to everyone who plays the National Lottery as they have enabled the Community Fund to support our cause."

Present at the official opening was Pendle MP and government minister Andrew Stephenson who said: “It is good to see this project being supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.

"Pendle New Neighbours do such valuable work, and this grant will allow them to do even more.”

Why not follow our East Lancashire Facebook Page for more news in the area.

Related topics:RefugeesNational LotteryPendleEast LancashireNational Lottery Community Fund

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