The premise is simple: if people meet for a meal, or even just a cuppa, then they meet as human-to-human and can begin to overcome prejudices and ignorance. 

The feedback is positive.  In the most recent iteration of the programme: 

• 82% of participants had an improved sense of belonging in their local area
• 96% of participants had an improved perception that in the local area people from different backgrounds can get on well together
• 100% of participants had an improved trust in their fellow local residents 

Participants said:

• “Very interesting people, indeed well matched.  We are likely to meet again.”
• “We  met last Friday evening and yes, we had a great time. We shared Indian curries and English desserts. We all learnt a lot about our different cultures and faiths and hope to meet up again sometime in the future.  I think I am speaking for us all when I say what a great opportunity this was, and is, to appreciate each  other and encourage each other, thank you for ‘putting’ us together.”
• “Thank you for pairing us together. Had a very interesting conversation and we hope to meet up again!”
• “Thank you for letting us have this opportunity as I believe we have made 2 new lovely friends.”
• “Thank you for the opportunity to meet a fascinating person. Great conversation, ranging from politics to cricket!”
• “This was a fantastic experience which I hope has led to long term friendship. We were both a little bit worried that we might struggle to find things to talk about but this couldn’t be further from the truth. It turns out so much of our lives between our study, mutual friends and places we’ve lived crossed over greatly. If anything, we still have far too much to talk about!”
• “The fact that the cafe we aimed for turned out to be closed was actually a blessing, as it gave us an impulse to just hang around each other’s places of worship, which led to fascinating conversations! We said that you clearly knew what you were doing about pairing us up!”

Longer Term Impact

The above feedback was given within a week of the program finishing.  I also followed up with participants three months after the program finished, to hear their reflections. Their main points were: 

• The program works because of trust – participants trusted me to know their needs and potential vulnerabilities and to find a match that was both interesting and safe. “It’s like a blind date, but it worked out well.”
• The matching is crucial – meeting people of a similar life stage and life experience is a good base line, but the most successful pairings were between people with common interests and challenges (such as caring responsibilities for an elderly parent). “I knew you understood my cultural and social needs.”
• Meeting in public places (cafes, restaurants, parks etc) makes it safer and more accessible. “It is a good introduction to interfaith.”
• Everyone benefits from taking part however many times we’ve made with people. “I am always looking for opportunities to meet new people and this gave me another chance.”