A new community café in Lynemouth, Northumberland, is providing affordable, healthy meals and free food to vulnerable residents and a safe, inclusive environment.
Calmer Café was developed by local community interest group Calmer Therapy, based in Stobhill, Morpeth, and was made possible thanks to over £8,000 of funding from Karbon.
Donna Swan MBE, Director of Calmer Therapy has been managing the project: “We are so pleased to be able to launch Calmer Café and provide a safe, warm space for people to come together, socialise and create a feeling of belonging.
“Lynemouth has a high number of disabled and elderly residents and families living in poverty, both higher than the UK average. With a limited number of shops and transport links available, we want to help by offering pensioner rates and specials, including free hot food, and deliveries to their homes. We’re also planning to run social activities and bespoke support groups for mental health, dementia, men's health and more.”
Calmer Café is also looking to employ adults and young people with disabilities, offering the opportunity to become more independent, gain work experience and unlock their potential.
Donna went on to say: “We’re currently working with job coaches as the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), to help adults with disabilities gain work experience. We’ll be providing training and we’ll support them to gain qualifications such as food hygiene, and essential work experience.”
Calmer Therapy has been supporting children, young people, adults who have additional needs, disabilities and mental health needs, and their families since 2015. It provides regular after school, weekend and holiday activities for families and monthly social events, training and support in the workplace for adults.
At its centre in Stobhill, Morpeth, which on average welcomes over 250 visitors a week, it offers a number of groups and support services, including a baby and toddler group, football club, youth group, support groups, and food bank drop ins. The Stobhill centre is also a Bread and Butter Thing Hub, which runs every Monday and provides affordable groceries for those in need.
The Calmer Café project has been funded through Karbon Homes’ Community Investment Fund. Over the last year the fund awarded over £300k worth of grants to projects that make a real difference to people’s lives and wellbeing within the communities where Karbon operates.
Philip Pollard, Assistant Director of Customer & Community Engagement at Karbon Homes, said:
“The team at Calmer Therapy provide amazing services for our communities and we are thrilled to be able to continue to support them with the Calmer Café project.
“The cost-of-living crisis is still affecting so many people so it’s important that vulnerable residents and people living in poverty are provided with services like this, particularly over the winter months.
“Our Community Funding was designed to support local initiatives just like the Calmer Café, helping residents in our communities by increasing the reach of provision and providing food, a warm space, a social environment and more.”
Calmer Café is located at located at 9 Albion Terrace, Lynemouth NE61 5SX. It will be open Monday-Saturday (excluding Wednesday) 8am – 4pm and Sunday 11am - 3pm. You can get in touch with them by emailing calmertherapycafe@gmail.com or calling 07518 809 222.
To find out more about Karbon Homes community funding, visit www.karbonhomes.co.uk/community-funding.
A new community café in Lynemouth, Northumberland, is providing affordable, healthy meals and free food to vulnerable residents and a safe, inclusive environment.
Calmer Café was developed by local community interest group Calmer Therapy, based in Stobhill, Morpeth, and was made possible thanks to over £8,000 of funding from Karbon.
Donna Swan MBE, Director of Calmer Therapy has been managing the project: “We are so pleased to be able to launch Calmer Café and provide a safe, warm space for people to come together, socialise and create a feeling of belonging.
“Lynemouth has a high number of disabled and elderly residents and families living in poverty, both higher than the UK average. With a limited number of shops and transport links available, we want to help by offering pensioner rates and specials, including free hot food, and deliveries to their homes. We’re also planning to run social activities and bespoke support groups for mental health, dementia, men's health and more.”
Calmer Café is also looking to employ adults and young people with disabilities, offering the opportunity to become more independent, gain work experience and unlock their potential.
Donna went on to say: “We’re currently working with job coaches as the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), to help adults with disabilities gain work experience. We’ll be providing training and we’ll support them to gain qualifications such as food hygiene, and essential work experience.”
Calmer Therapy has been supporting children, young people, adults who have additional needs, disabilities and mental health needs, and their families since 2015. It provides regular after school, weekend and holiday activities for families and monthly social events, training and support in the workplace for adults.
At its centre in Stobhill, Morpeth, which on average welcomes over 250 visitors a week, it offers a number of groups and support services, including a baby and toddler group, football club, youth group, support groups, and food bank drop ins. The Stobhill centre is also a Bread and Butter Thing Hub, which runs every Monday and provides affordable groceries for those in need.
The Calmer Café project has been funded through Karbon Homes’ Community Investment Fund. Over the last year the fund awarded over £300k worth of grants to projects that make a real difference to people’s lives and wellbeing within the communities where Karbon operates.
Philip Pollard, Assistant Director of Customer & Community Engagement at Karbon Homes, said:
“The team at Calmer Therapy provide amazing services for our communities and we are thrilled to be able to continue to support them with the Calmer Café project.
“The cost-of-living crisis is still affecting so many people so it’s important that vulnerable residents and people living in poverty are provided with services like this, particularly over the winter months.
“Our Community Funding was designed to support local initiatives just like the Calmer Café, helping residents in our communities by increasing the reach of provision and providing food, a warm space, a social environment and more.”
Calmer Café is located at located at 9 Albion Terrace, Lynemouth NE61 5SX. It will be open Monday-Saturday (excluding Wednesday) 8am – 4pm and Sunday 11am - 3pm. You can get in touch with them by emailing calmertherapycafe@gmail.com or calling 07518 809 222.
To find out more about Karbon Homes community funding, visit www.karbonhomes.co.uk/community-funding.
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