Target reached!
Should we be lucky enough to reach our initial target, our stretch target will be an...
Watergate Community Cafe (CIC)
Gateshead, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Bring to life a Cafe with the local community at its heart, in the beautiful Watergate Forest Park.
Watergate Community Cafe (CIC)
Did you know there is a cafe in Watergate Forest Park?
Well there is, however in the past it has only been open for limited periods during the times when Whickham Fellside Youth Football Club have been playing or training. The cafe has now been taken over and set up as a Community Interest Company (CIC). With the backing of Whickham Fellside Football Club the cafe is being developed into a community hub where people can come together to enjoy the company of like minded people over a cuppa and a bite to eat. Whether you use the park for running, walking, cycling or exercisng the dog, everyone will be welcome.
As the busines has been set up as a CIC any profits from the cafe will be put back into our community, so the community will be at the heart of everything the cafe aims to acheive. There will be a timetable of classes for all the family, as well as events which will show off all our area has to offer. We will be working alongside other likeminded organisations to promote the use of the park in a responsible way.
What will the cafe actually do?
The concept of the cafe has come from Sharon, who has run a bakery business from home for the last few years. The idea is that yes the cafe will be a place where you can go for a coffee and a slice of cake but it will be more than that. Working alongside other likeminded, local businesses and community groups, the cafe will have a timetable of family activities and community events. There will also be the opportunity for local businesses to promote themselves through a rent a shelf scheme. We will be installing a community board, which will give visitors to the cafe an idea of all that is going on in our community. We are looking into setting up walking, running and cycling groups. We aim to encourage the use of the park in a positive way, engaging with local people for support on things like litter picks, promoting responsible dog ownership and the possibility of developing a youth club as well opportunities for outdoor learning groups. We will also be working with local schools and artists to create a piece of artwork that celebrates the heritage of the site, which will be installed in the cafe.
What will your money be spent on?
You name it we need it, and as you can see from the picture above the current facilities aren't particularly inviting, and we are working to improve this. However the idea of this crowdfunding project is to raise funds for the 'community' elements of the cafe. We would like to buy a stock of crafting supplies. These will be left out for families to use for a voluntary donation, the aim being that no matter what your disposable income you will be able to spend quality time as a family. We are also wanting to install a community news board which will give local businesses and community groups a chance to advertise their services for free. The funds raised by this campaign will go towards installing that too. We would also like to source a secure bike rack for people to leave their bikes in whilst they pop in for a cuppa.
Although other sources of funding are also being pursued, we need the backing of our community too so we can hit the ground running and show other funders that this is something that the area needs, wants and will support.
If you feel the Watergate Cafe is an initiative that deserves support please pledge and in return as well as our thanks you will receive some fab rewards.
This project successfully funded on 30th March 2017