Having this space will help to make our Cafe which is located at GL3 Community Hub in Churchdown, Gloucestershire more attractive and financially sustainable. GL3 Community Hub is a registered charity which was established when the County Council removed all the funding for our youth and community centre. With the support of Churchdown Parish Council the centre was kept open so that the valuable youth and community activities could continue. The Garden Cafe was opened and has been a great success: it provides income to sustain the work of the Hub and a wealth of opportunities for volunteers to learn new skills, boost their confidence and move on either to further training/employment, or to achieve other life goals. Some part time jobs have been created in the Cafe and Hub, but there is lots more potential. We need some capital investment now to help us to grow and thrive.
What we'll deliver:
- We intend to turn this area into an oasis for the benefit of the whole community
- We what to ensure the whole community can use this space at afordable prices
- We will create a new space that will be used as an annex to the building for all age groups
- Children and young people will use this space for fun and learn about life skills.
Why it's a great idea:
This is a great idea as it will help to increase income to the Cafe and therefore to the Hub and enable us to work towards financial sustainability. The cuts to funding for youth work in the County were severe, but the community of Churchdown and Innsworth has faced the challenge and worked hard to keep our local services. The Hub is located adjacent to an area of deprivation so it is particularly important that youth and community services are maintained for the benefit of those in need and for the community as a whole. The Cafe is vital to our work in many ways: it provides a revenue stream, is a warm and welcoming place where anyone can drop in to find company and conversation, food is cooked from fresh which contributes to healthy eating, and it gives opportunities for both employment and volunteering. The new annexe will provde another 125 sq metres of floorspace which will vastly increase our capacity, as the Cafe currently operates from a small area in the Hub building.
Steps to get it done:
- High Tech, a Cheltenham based company will build the annexe, and the community will decorate it and fit It out.
The Cafe started operating in September 2012, and business has increased from £10,000-£12,000 at the six month point to current takings of £500 per week, having started from small beginnings and operating out of part of the Hub building this is success in the making. To have a purpose built space which is flexible enough to accommodate more events and functions will make a huge difference and we confidently look forward to doubling our turnover. The Cafe is a true social enterprise with all surpluses being put into the Cafe and Hub to create more employment and volunteer opportunities. Footfall into the area will increase with the opening of a new supermarket opposite (which does not have a Cafe). To summarise, we are ambitious and aim to create a well known and highly regarded eatery which can compete with major brands, and at the same time promoting the values of social entrepreneurship and provide everybody with the opportunity to learn new skills
