Newcastle Christian Union has put up a marquee and is offering free coffees all week

The society’s also providing free food at all of its events.


It’s that time of term again: student bank balances have seen healthier days, and we’re all looking for any excuse to procrastinate and put off that important dissertation or coursework. Well, the Christian Union at Newcastle University may have just come to the rescue.

Last week students noticed a marquee being set up outside opposite the students’ union, and we’ve now discovered it’s all part of an events week hosted by Newcastle Uni society Newcastle University Christian Union.

If you’re strapped on cash this week, you can quite literally praise the Lord, as they’ve also paid for a coffee van to be stationed next to the marquee, handing out free teas and coffees for students, while the big tent is decked out with sofas, fairy lights, throws and cushions for you to chill out, and – if you want to – talk to members of the Christian Union about their beliefs and values.

If that’s not enough, they’re hosting evening events with free food from brands like Nudo and Krispy Kreme. They’re even doing pancakes to celebrate pancake day, and a cocktail night on Wednesday.

It’s all part of a campaign they’re calling “Uncover” where they’ll be hosting talks giving a Christian perspective on topics like suffering, injustice and building an inclusive society.

NUCU president Will Brockman was keen to share the invite to all students on campus: “We hope the marquee will be a place where people feel genuinely welcome and comfortable to ask hard questions and challenge our answers.

“Sometimes people get worried we’ll be offended if they disagree with us, but we really aren’t, we just want to open up a conversation and welcome anyone to come to whatever conclusion they arrive at.

“There’s going to be lots of talks and conversations on topics like suffering and injustice – which are relevant to all of us, and of course most of all we’ll be exploring why we believe that Jesus, a man who lived over 2,000 years ago, continues to transform lives across the world today.”

The pop-up cafe is open all week between 9am and 3pm, with lunch bars held at both 12pm and 1pm.

Want to write stories like this? Join the team, no experience required. DM us via @TheTabNewcastle on Instagram or The Tab Newcastle on Facebook.

Related stories recommended by this writer: