Target reached!
You can help this project to raise more and reach its stretch target.
thurso community cafe warm space
Thurso, Highland Council, United Kingdom
Aim
We want to bring together all members of the community to help those at risk of isolation, social disadvantage.
Who are we?
Thurso Community Café is a Community Interest Company which is intended to provide support - food, emotional support and the opportunity to volunteer - to those struggling and disadvantaged within the community. We operate a community café on ‘pay what you can’ basis, a Community Larder and our own supported volunteer programme. We also host an addiction recovery support group. Everything that we do is intended to benefit the most vulnerable in our community and the café is intended as a place which helps combat isolation as well as address food-poverty.
Community impact
The café is open four days a week, staffed by fifteen volunteers operating on a shift basis. The befriending aspect of the café is as important to many of those who visit the café as the food and hot drinks we serve.
Our outdoor Community Larder is available to anyone and accessible at any time of day or night. Approximately 100 people per week make use of the Larder and we are indebted to a number of donors who ensure it always remains topped up.
Why are we crowdfunding?
The café is supported by donations. The bulk of our food comes from three local supermarkets who provide us with their surpluses, from local shops and from members of the public, and there is no stipulation on price – people can pay £10 or 10p or nothing at all.
The café is well supported by the community and prior to lockdown we had a foot fall of 200-400 per week, depending on the season. The café also provides opportunities for volunteering. This is confidence-building and can be the first step to paid employment for those who have been some time away from the job market or who are looking for their first work experience.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We will spend the money on creating a warm space for people through this winter, offering 4 days a week of being open to the public to provide a warm space they can spend the day.
Co-op Local Community Fund has provided £2,218 of match funding
Co-op Warm Spaces Funding Boost has provided £1,010 of match funding
This project successfully funded on 10th January 2023