AN open door cafe where 'everyone is welcome' has received a lottery grant so it can continue at the heart of the community for years to come.
The Open Door Cafe in Warndon in Worcester has secured its future for the next two years with a grant of £7,242 from the National Lottery.
The grant has left everyone involved in running it and all those who attend each week 'delighted' says the Warndon's Labour councillor who brought the open door cafe to the city.
Cllr Jill Desayrah, who founded the community lunch along with a team of volunteers, said the cafe had provided a social space with free food to residents for the past 18 months.
Having started at St Wulstan’s church in Cranham Drive, it is well settled into its new home of the Warndon Hub on Shap Drive, serving over 50 meals a week.
Birthdays, new jobs and even an engagement are celebrated with cards and homemade cake, recognising the close bonds of the Warndon community. The ethos is that 'everyone is made to feel welcome' said the councillor.
Now that this significant sponsorship has been received by Worcester Community Action (WCA) on behalf of the Open Door Cafe, the future of this popular event has been secured for some time to come.
RECOMMENDED READING: Rainbow Hill wall collapse: inside crumbling garden
RECOMMENDED READING: Bromyard Road fire Priory Dry Cleaners aftermath revealed
WCA is a registered charity that exists to supports small volunteer groups with umbrella services such as a bank accounts, procedures and DBS checks. It currently supports around 75 such organisations who would otherwise find themselves alone.
Cllr Desayrah said: “The volunteers and I are so very grateful to WCA for helping secure this money and to the National Lottery for the generous support. It’s a huge boost and very much appreciated. Last Saturday was the last cafe before a short break for Easter. The menu was a special one in honour of the occasion - a fish pie or cauliflower bake followed by cakes with an Easter theme. Everything was hoovered up. Fantastic!”
Menus and some recipes can be found at desayrahwarndon Facebook page. The Open Door Cafe returns on noon on April 13.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here