Words by Ed King
On Thursday 29 January, Oikos Café opens its doors for its first free Community Meal of 2026 – cooked and served by volunteers from Oikos Church.
Located at 58 Erdington High Street, opposite The Swan and near the Village Green, Oikos Café serves meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks from 9am to 4pm from Mondays to Saturday.
Held on the third Thursday of every month, the free Community Meal invites people in from 5pm until 6:30pm – with the first event taking place on Thursday 29 January.
Delivered as part of Oikos Church’s ministry – using their time and resources to reach out to the local community and build positive relationships – the Community Meal is a friendly and popular event that brings people together from all over Erdington
Local families and individuals of all ages are invited to drop in at any point for a healthy hot meal and a chance to sit and chat in the café.
One Erdington local told: “Oikos do a great job with their Community Meal, it’s a lovely atmosphere and the food is always a hearty homecooked meal. There’s no judgement or pressure and it’s a really mixed crowd of all ages and stages.”
They added: “I love going, and even though I go on my own I’ve started to make friends from some of the regular faces you see there. It’s a truly special event.”
Oikos Café and Church are a longstanding and cherished part of the High Street community, having opened their doors 10 and 15 years ago respectively.
To celebrate the double anniversary, Oikos will be hosting a special Fun Day community event on Saturday 28 February – held outside their venue on Erdington High Street.
Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) will be supporting the Oikos anniversary events as part of their ongoing LOVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY campaign, celebrating all the positive aspects and community of Erdington Town Centre.
A spokesperson for Erdington BID told: “If anyone ever asks me to sum up the community spirit in Erdington, I tell them about the Oikos Community Meal – it’s a really special event, delivered from a place of absolute love and goodwill.
“It also tastes great and is genuinely a lot of fun.”
They added: “Oikos Church and Café are fundamental part of Erdington Town Centre and amazingly supportive of our local community – they do so much for so many, we are truly blessed to have them on our High Street.
“It is with great pleasure and friendship that we will join them at their upcoming anniversaries on the High Street – we hope everyone else will come along on Saturday 28 February and join in the celebrations too.”
For more on Oikos Café visit www.oikoscafe.co.uk
