Invitation to assemble at Chester Cathedral to discuss big issues

Chester Cathedral is opening its doors this month to engage the people of the city in a discussion on homelessness.

The Assemble event, where everyone gathers to discuss topical issues, takes place on Thursday, October 24 in Café 1092 in the Refectory and is free for anyone to attend.  

The event begins at 6.45pm and the panel will address the question ‘What’s the ‘problem’ with homelessness?’ before inviting questions or insights from the floor.

Homelessness is not just about people sleeping rough on the streets.  A single-night snapshot taken on the 9 November last year in Cheshire West and Chester found that there were 22 people sleeping rough, up by 12 people from 2022. But for the period 2023/2024 the number of people who approached the council, for whom a homeless application was begun, was 4884 - a 62% increase over the last five years.

The Assemble panel comprises experts from Chester and beyond with a wealth of experience working with the homeless.  They are: Cheshire West and Chester Councillor Richard Beacham, lead councillor for Chester’s One City Plan, which includes an action to work together as a community to end rough sleeping in the city; Jamie Edwards, Homeless Service Manager for SHARE Chester, who has years of experience working frontline with the homeless and; Salma Ravat, founder member and CEO of One Roof Leicester, a charity providing accommodation and support to single people who are homeless in Leicester.

Dean of Chester Dr Tim Stratford will welcome the panel and audience, who are invited to submit questions and join the debate.  

He said: “Chester Cathedral is many things to many people and we want to be a place where people feel confident to gather to discuss topics that matter in our modern world.”

Refreshments will be served from 6.15pm and free tickets are available from the Chester Cathedral website.  Assemble events take place every few months and have included talks on AI (Artificial Intelligence), environmental protesting and election debates.