A CAFE which helps Weymouth residents, born outside the UK, to get to know one another and learn English is welcoming new members.

St Aldhelm’s Church, on Spa Road, launched World Café in January last year, and it has since helped residents from afar-a-field as China get to know the local customs.

The café is run by a team of volunteers with varying backgrounds in teaching either as retired teachers or teaching English as a foreign language.

The sessions begin with a welcome coffee and chat, and are followed by 45 minutes of more structured teaching of the English language before finishing with an informal coffee and chat.

Coordinator Jane Gibbs said: “We have discovered that the demographic we serve (those for whom English is a second language) has quite a shifting pattern of life, which means that we need constantly to be drawing the attention of new potential guests to what we do.

“We offer a warm welcome and a free drink and cake to anyone whose first language is not English. We welcome under-fives with their parents. There’s plenty of chance to practise English conversation in an informal, easy setting. The Cafe is run by the Christian church for those of all faiths and none.”

The cafe restarts after the Christmas break on Monday January 15 from 9.15am until 11.15am and will continue every Monday.