Christmas Community Café
4
The Pitch
Problem statement
For the past 2 years we have run 3 community cafés for older people, some vulnerable, who have found it difficult to leave home after Covid, after losing a partner, reluctant to leave their homes & make friends. Across the 3 cafés we now have 80 people attending each week as well as having the benefit of volunteers who have found their contribution rewarding. Local charity closed a regular café, missed by many and Neighbourcare recognized the need.
Solution
Funding to support Christmas themed events at three cafés. Ukulele group will provide entertainment, food, games for people to take part in, including raffles. Each hall will be decorated with bunting, Christmas decorations with a table running down the centre for everyone to sit at. Opportunity for older people to celebrate Christmas together with friends they have made at weekly cafes & social group. Our team of volunteers will set up, serve food & refreshments, & then help clear away. Also helps to build up community involvement & means that people feel like they are giving back to local people & especially our older members, those we support who are at the heart of what what we do.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
We have run 3 community cafés for 2 years with low cost refreshments & special events for the King's Coronation, attended by the Mayor attracting 90 people & days involving charities with special information on cost of living issues and other services for older people such as Citizen's Advice, home library service, Christmas Fayre being repeated this year. Many cafe days are themed with entertainment & special quizzes, offering a chat & natter walk for exercise, celebrating birthdays. We offer befriending in a person's home and some of those people attend a café instead. Our Community Project Leader initiated these cafés, running them weekly for the last 2 years with a team of 14 volunteers
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Sainsbury sandwich platters 10 x £14 | £140 |
| Frozen mini chocolate eclairs 12 x £1.50 | £18 |
| Mini pork pies 10 x £2.25 | £23 |
| Sausage rolls 10 x £2.50 | £25 |
| Mini Stollen 10 X £2.79 | £28 |
| Mini mince pies 10 x £2.75 | £28 |
| Catering roll table cover 2 X £26 | £52 |
| Red table cloth 12 X 2.75 | £33 |
| Cold drink 10 X £2.00 | £20 |
| cups, plates, napkins 26 X £1.00 | £26 |
| Please note that the total cost for 3 Christmas Cafe Parties is around £850 to cover all the food. We have received grants of £500. A grant of £400 would assure excellent parties. | £7 |
Beneficiaries
120 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
Comments from one of 3 Christmas Parties in 2023 First time that we had a Christmas event at Church Cottage. Entertainment from local ukulele group, Loose Chippings, free buffet of sandwiches, mince pies & other Christmas treats. One of the volunteers not only made some lovely Christmas table decorations, she & her daughter also made a small box with sweets in for everyone. One of the many highlights was our Chair of Trustees being persuaded to ballroom dance with one of the ladies. Absolutely made her day, she loves to dance. The other highlight was, at the very last song, being led by a lady on her walker in the Conga. By the end, we had everyone up & joining it. It was a lovely way to finish off a very successful year. • Thank you so much for putting on such a lovely event. It been a really great morning. • What a wonderful morning – thank you! • It was fantastic time – thank you we really appreciated it. • What an amazing time we have had – thank you very much for everything