What is the Community Café?
The Community Café runs every Sunday at Central Hall, St Mary Street, close to Southampton city centre. Doors open to the public from 5-6pm and the Café predominantly attracts the homeless or vulnerably housed, although everyone is welcome. The Café is organised and run entirely by volunteers and it is financed by New Community and City Life churches and through individual donations.
The Café Core Team is currently made up of Nicky Porter and Bev Webb from City Life Church, Bec Hinks, David Swaffield and Mat Comer from New Community Church.
History of the Community Cafe
The Community Café came out of the original Christmas Cafe which ran during the Christmas week of 2006 with a vision to provide hospitality during the festive season for the vulnerable and lonely in our city. With the city’s day-centres closed during this time we were able to welcome and feed many who would otherwise have been on the streets.
Its success led to several of our guests continuing to visit us at Central Hall and it became clear that continuing the Café on a regular basis would be welcomed. Since February 2007 the Community Café has opened every Sunday evening. Since that time it has grown considerably from a handful of helpers and guests to the large number of volunteers and guests we receive today. Each Christmas the Christmas Café has also continued to open.
Ethos of the Café
The ethos and aims of the Café have always been beyond ‘giving the hungry, vulnerable and homeless a healthy, hot meal on a weekly basis’. Our desire is to create a safe and friendly environment where anyone can come and receive hospitality in the fullest sense of the word; everyone being given the same warm welcome and respect no matter their age, race, beliefs, background or situation. To this end volunteers are asked to give of their best to make everyone feel equally valued and appreciated.
Where help with other practical needs can be given, we will do so; this may include providing toiletries, clothing and bedding or pointing people in the direction of other helpful agencies where appropriate. Sometimes help has been given beyond the walls of the Café supporting people throughout the week as needs have arisen.
It is for this reason we aim to envision and equip our volunteers in the work of the Café, providing them with helpful training in roles, boundaries, health and safety etc. We also ask volunteers to sign a Volunteer Agreement confirming they have understood and will support the ethos and aims of the Café and have received appropriate training for their role. We also ask that volunteers wear name badges so they can be identified as helpers on the day.
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