Our long-term goal is to create a fabulous community cafe at the Plum on Garden Lane in the heart of the Garden Quarter. In the short term we need your help in raising funds to buy a good commercial coffee machine - essential in transforming our current offer to the higher level of quality we want our neighbours to enjoy. This purchase will enable a community cafe pilot scheme to launch in early 2024. We will deliver a programme of simple, pop-up café dates targeting participants in arts workshops and local people. Being able to offer high quality but very affordable hot drinks will appeal to and attract our diverse neighbourhood, including local residents, students and sanctuary seekers. The feedback will inform future developments: use and impact; operational models (including volunteers and charity partners providing catering training); further develop a not-for-profit business model; assess any building adaptations required; all to help plan a future permanent community cafe.

What we'll deliver:

• Purchase of a bean to cup coffee machine
• A welcoming space for the whole community
• Increased after school activities for local children
• Partnership working with a charity providing work place training in catering
• Support for intergenerational arts based activities

Why it's a great idea:

This 6 month pilot scheme will inform and guide the Plum steering group, volunteers and partners in the creation of the permanent cafe offer. Our not-for-profit series of pop-up cafes will provide a welcoming meeting place and affordable good quality produce for: *Young parents with babies / toddlers finding it difficult to go far from home or afford to socialise *Older residents at risk of social isolation *Participants in creative workshops and other activities at The Plum *Neighbours and students *Refugees needing to connect *Vulnerable adults who can be engaged as voluntary staff for the café. A local charity provides the volunteers with catering training designed to broaden their life horizons, build self-esteem and set them up for a brighter future. The cafe pilot scheme will further open up use of the church building to people not currently engaging with us and will offer a warm, affordable, social space which is especially needed during the current cost of living crisis.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchase of coffee machine and training for volunteers
• Pilot scheme launched and publicised to targeted beneficiaries
• Delivery of pop-up cafe dates
• Engagement with beneficiaries via market research/ feedback
• Agreement with charity partner to extend use and operation of cafe
• Project evaluation and development of business plan to inform permanent offer

Our survey indicated very high interest in a community café forming part of the wider extended use of the church building on Garden Lane. The Plum, with its sunny inside and outside seating areas is the perfect meeting place for those looking for a safe, inclusive space to make new friends and discover the wide range of community activities and events at the Plum. During the pilot café operation we look forward to working with the charity Soul Kitchen. They have expressed similar enthusiasm to work with us. Soul Kitchen would provide work experience and catering training for vulnerable adults; potentially turning their lives around for the better. The launch of the café pilot scheme will coincide with an exciting creative arts programme at The Plum. We expect the café facility will expose more visitors to the arts workshops, grow awareness and engagement A quality coffee machine will reflect our belief that our neighbours deserve the best we can offer at prices they can afford.