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A busy voluntary-run café on a Keighley estate has been awarded nearly £30,000 of Housing Trust funding to expand its work and promote healthy eating in the community.

The Community Learning Café, a social enterprise launched by the Braithwaite People’s Association and based at the Keith Thompson Centre in Braithwaite, serves good quality low priced meals to up 700 residents and workers a week.

The café is run by resident Maxine Snowball and a team of volunteers who are all fully trained in food hygiene and preparation. Two ‘healthy  apprentices’ also work with residents and customers to encourage people to follow healthier lifestyles by giving advice on areas such as nutrition, balanced diets and cutting out smoking.

Now the café is set to expand its services with a £29,548 grant from the BCHT Foundation Ltd (the charitable arm of the district’s biggest social landlord) spread over three years.

The café’s management committee have received a cheque (Jan 07) for the first year’s funding totalling £14,774 from BCHT Foundation Chair, Iain Stewart.

The money will go towards promoting a ‘five-a-day’ healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables among customers and the opening of a greengrocers stall in the centre. There are also plans to start a fruit and veg delivery service and meals-on-wheels for elderly and housebound residents.

In February, trained volunteers at the café will start a beginner’s bakery course for residents.

Maxine Snowball, Project Leader, said: “The café has been going over two years and it’s become the hub of the community for residents, workers in the area and volunteers looking for training.

“The Housing Trust funding will enable us to expand our services into the local community and encourage more people to get into a healthy diet.”

John Philip, the Treasurer of the Braithwaite People’s Association, which manages the café project, said: “We are delighted to have secured this grant from BCHT Foundation. It will enable the project to develop its outreach work into the community, promote healthy living and offer local people valuable work experience and training.

“We also aim to show how a community centre can use social enterprise as a hub to drive the rest of its activities such as running parent and toddler sessions, a senior citizen group and a help desk for the community. The Association’s ultimate goal is to be self-sufficient within the next three years.”

Iain Stewart, Chair of BCHT Foundation, said: "I am delighted that the Foundation has been able to support the Community Learning Café. It fits in well with the aims of the Foundation because it provides both a useful facility for the community and also supports residents by providing training in food hygiene."

The café opens Monday to Friday from 9am to around 11.30am and on Saturdays and Sundays it is open 9am to 12.30pm.

BCHT Foundation Ltd is able to provide grants up to £30,000 to local groups to help improve the quality of life for housing trust tenants. Community and tenant groups interested in applying should email jason.pollard@incommunities.co.uk

18.01.07