About Us

OUR HISTORY

Trubys Garden Tea Room is an interfaith community café run by British Muslim women who live in Milton Keynes.  The café was founded in 2014 as an outreach project to stimulate interfaith dialogue between Muslims and the wider community. 

The café is run by a group of volunteers from different faiths, and offers delicious homemade cakes and lunchtime savoury dishes celebrating the volunteer’s diverse heritages.  We do not have a permanent base and our approach is to pop up in different places / institutions to provide opportunity for a broad range of organisations to host us.  Currently, we are hosted by the Guildhall at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.

Our goal is to make Milton Keynes a better place to live through positive cross community relationships developed by bringing together diverse communities at our by-monthly cafes held in the Guildhall at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. In this convivial atmosphere trust and friendships can grow and, funds are raised to support local community causes. Further our annual Great Get Together Iftar in Campbell Park provides opportunities for interfaith understanding through the diversity of the enlightenment programme.

Through membership of Citizens MK we work on issues that affect us locally such as homelessness and fair working conditions. 

OUR VALUES

Trubys emulates through its action the best of the creation – our Prophet (PBUH), his character and our love for him – to lead by example and peacefully protest against those who disrespect the Prophet (PBUH).

The greatest man to ever walk on the face of the earth who gave respect and rights to all. A beautiful personality who raised high the status and rights of women, children and even animals. A man who showed Mercy to all, such mercy, which knew no bounds.

A most humble person who forgave those who wronged Him, taught people how to live a life of simplicity and love. A man whom God Himself called “A Mercy to the creation”.

He took people out of ignorance and showed them the beauty of the light He bought with Him. Gentle in composure, merciful in character, beautiful in manners, elegant in speech, and most compassionate and forgiving.

He was affectionate towards children and the weak, tolerant to those who oppressed him, Generous and beneficent to the poor and needy. He was The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

OUR AIM

Bring together diverse communities to build trust and friendships to enable them to find positive solutions to make Milton Keynes a better place to live.

Our outreach work involves our volunteers working with both statutory bodies and the voluntary, community and cultural groups such as MK ACT; the British Red Cross to support the settlement of refugees and new arrivals in Milton Keynes; and through Citizens: MK work on local issues to build positive cross community relationships by promoting dialogue and integration between the Muslim and the wider community of Milton Keynes.

OUR OBJECTIVE

• Build and foster positive relationships between the local Muslim and wider communities within Milton Keynes
• Initiate and encourage interfaith dialogue
• Work in partnership with other organisations to tackle wider issues within local communities.
• Fundraise to support local and global community projects, initiatives and activities

Monies raised from each of our events is donated to a charitable / community cause (both local and global).

OUR IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY

Our outreach involves our volunteers working with statutory bodies and, voluntary, community and cultural groups such as MK ACT and the British Red Cross. The work supports the needs of women, particularly from Muslim and BAME communities who have specific faith and cultural needs, as well as the settlement of refugees and new arrivals in Milton Keynes. Our on-going hardship fund enables our volunteers to provide wide-ranging help to a number of local families and individuals in desperate need. We have become the point of first referral for the community.

We have donated funds to or supported a range of local community causes and projects including:

• The Summer Catch Up School for Children with English as second language in collaboration with African Diaspora Foundation
• £1250 to cover cost of a heart stent for a Syrian refugee in Jordan
• Feeding the Forgotten with a hot meal every day during winter 2020 / 21 (raising donations in kind, over £2k in sadaqqah and £6k worth of grant from MK Community Foundation
• Ramadan food parcels during Covid pandemic
• Eid Hampers in collaboration with Dreamsai
• Community sponsorshp to bring more Syrian refugees to MK
• Rohinga Crisis
• Melting Pot
• Christ the Cornerstone Christmas Appeal
• St Mary’s Church Roof Appeal
• Islamic Centre contributing nearly £10k worth of donations
• Many individuals and families through Trubys Hardship Fund
• The Catch Up Summer School for Children with English as second language during Covid
• Feeding the Forgotten project which provides a hot meal every day to those vulnerable in MK

We have also supported global causes such as the Rohinga appeal.  We have an on-going hardship fund that enables our volunteers to provide help to families in Milton Keynes in desperate need.  A number of families and individuals have benefited from this wide-ranging work over the years.  We have become the point of first referral for the community.