Sip, smile, sign: introducing Dialogue Café
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Published
03 February 2025
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The Dialogue Café, a unique and transformative initiative that celebrates inclusion, creativity and community empowerment.
Officially opening its doors on Thursday 30 January, this is no ordinary café; it’s a beacon of inclusion, creativity and community empowerment, brought to life by the inspiring team at Dialogue Hub.
Grand opening celebration:
- Date: Thursday, 30 January
- Time: 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Location: Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, E16 2RD
Dialogue Café offers more than just coffee – it’s an experience that bridges communities. At Dialogue Café, deaf and hard-of-hearing baristas take the lead, encouraging visitors to order in British Sign Language (BSL). If you’re new to BSL, don’t worry! Live interpreters and interactive guides will be on hand to make the process seamless and enjoyable. Dialogue Café is about breaking barriers, fostering connections and creating a community built on understanding and inclusion.
A visit to remember
Recently, we welcomed some extraordinary guests who experienced the transformative impact of Dialogue Café first-hand:
- Rokhsana Fiaz (Mayor of Newham)
- Dan Bridge (Royal Docks Programme Director)
- Paul Nowak (General Secretary, Trades Union Congress TUC)
- Sam Gurney (Regional Secretary, London & South East TUC and Royal Docks Board Member)
- Geoffrey Fowler (Principal, London Design & Engineering University Technical College, LDE UTC)
These VIP guests toured the Centre, met the incredible Dialogue Hub team and even placed orders with Faiz, one of our brilliant baristas using BSL! Their visit highlighted the Café’s role in shifting perceptions and driving inclusion.
Leading by example
The Dialogue Café initiative has already sparked significant local interest and support. Backed by the Mayor of Newham and Populo Living, Dialogue Hub has extended its vision with the Dialogue Express Café, a retired train carriage transformed into a one-of-a-kind community hub on Carpenters Estate. This innovative space will continue to empower deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, showcasing the power of creativity and collaboration.
Catalysts for change
Dialogue Café demonstrates the Centre’s commitment to fostering inclusion, upskilling the community and sparking innovative projects that resonate far beyond the Docklands Campus. At the recent Royal Docks Networking Forum at the Excel, our Employer Partnerships Office (EPO) team joined local leaders to discuss sustainable growth and collaborative opportunities, ensuring initiatives like Dialogue Café remain at the forefront of community transformation.
Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS)
The Dialogue Café is located in our Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS). Opened in 2023, the Centre is a space for co-creation and collaboration. It provides local people, businesses, and UEL students and graduates access to:
- Affordable workspace and specialist facilities
- Relevant academic/research expertise and a diverse talent pipeline
- Impactful programmes to launch and grow businesses, and develop the skills of East Londoners