Cafe Connect receives lottery funding to extend opening hours

The National Lottery have recently funded us through its Community Fund to expand the delivery of our wonderful Cafe Connect for an extra few hours on a Wednesday. This means we’ll be open from 10am to 2pm each Wednesday starting this week (February 26th, 2020).

We hope this will mean that more people, especially any isolated or more vulnerable members of the community, will be able to join us each week.

Excitingly, this has enabled us to employ Ella Harris, a Barne Barton resident, to work alongside Lisa Dawson, our Cafe Connect lead. Ella brings a passion for baking, love for people and an enthusiasm to get stuck in which we’re sure will bless the people who attend.

Ella Harris (left) and Lisa Dawson

Working with lots of partners

Working in partnership with Barnardo’s for part of this provision, the cafe helps bring together over 40 Barne Barton and St. Budeaux residents each week as they share in a Starbucks coffee (tea or hot chocolate also available!), plus cakes, biscuits and pastries from M&S, Lidl and Tesco.

Through food waste donations from M&S, Lidl and Tesco, there is also a scheme where attendees can take home, free of charge, any food products that would otherwise have been binned by the supermarkets. This is often fruits, vegetables, bakery products and household items but it varies each week.

Lisa Dawson, Cafe Connect lead for us, said: “It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to extend the cafe so we can hopefully welcome more people. Ella and I are passionate about meeting the needs of those who come along and we hope it can be a safe space where people can make new friendships, grab a bite to eat and enjoy a decent hot drink. We’re so thankful to Barnardo’s, the National Lottery, Starbucks, M&S, Lidl, Tesco, Neighbourly and Fare Share for helping us to make this into the special session that it currently is.”

Please see our new flier here: Cafe Connect Flier