A perfect blend at the Cafe Culture...

HAPPY to help . . . front, from left, volunteer Susanne Bednall, CVS manager Jane Grant and assistant team manager Glenn Harrison with the staff at Cafe Culture

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VISITORS to Gallery Oldham can enjoy a slice of cake and a cuppa after browsing the latest exhibits.

Cafe Culture — the latest addition to Oldham’s cultural quarter — provides a peaceful haven for customers.

The cafe, which used to be a nightclub, is run by the council’s Community Vocational Service and staffed by volunteers with different kinds of disabilities.

The valuable work experience the volunteers gain boosts their confidence and helps them gain skills which they can put to use when they start paid employment.

Cafe Culture is one of a number of projects run by the Community Vocational Service across the borough.

Other projects include a garden centre, plant nursery and chicken coop at Chadderton Hall Park, an orchard at Crompton cemetery, a recycling project in Derker, Grassroots Community Farm in Failsworth, which has beehives for honey production, and allotments in Fitton Hill.

Food served at Cafe Culture, which includes salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and daily hot specials, is made using ingredients grown locally at other project sites.

Glenn Harrison, CVS assistant team manager, said: “Cafe Culture is in a very high-profile location, a centrepiece for the town, and we wanted the ethos to be locally-made produce for local people. Our carbon footprint is very low as the produce only has to travel within Oldham, it is not being driven in from miles and miles away.

“From the time we started to talk about creating a cafe at the Gallery we wanted it to be in keeping with the building, so it is very modern with pieces from current exhibitions linking in.

“The focal point of the cafe is a huge black and white photograph of Mumps taken several decades ago which always gets people talking.

“I think the Gallery has been crying out for a cafe for a long time. Before Cafe Culture opened there were just a couple of vending machines.”

Qualifications

Volunteers can build towards nationally recognised qualifications while working at the cafe.

The CVS also links up with Together Into Employment, a service which guides people with disabilities into paid employment.

The agencies work together to assess when volunteers are ready to take the next step.

Glenn said: “Starting your first job is a pretty difficult task for anyone but it can be even harder for people with disabilities who can often face extra barriers to getting to where they want to be.

“The CVS projects give our volunteers the chance to experience the world of work with the support they need.

“Being part of the various projects gives our volunteers so much confidence. We like to give them the opportunity to try their hand at a number of different projects. It gets really busy at lunchtime with every table full and people waiting which can be intimidating for our volunteers but we offer them all the support they need.

“I did a shift at Cafe Culture when it first opened to see what it was like and I struggled to keep up with all the orders and tables that needed serving so I know first hand how difficult it can be for our volunteers!

“We get really good responses from the public to all our projects which is great because it’s giving people with a disability, be it physical, sensory or mental, the chance to boost their portfolio and be at the forefront of the process to develop their skills.”

The cafe is currently open 10am-4pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-3.30pm on Sunday but staff are looking at extending these hours to fit in with library users.

Glenn said: “We want to offer a reduced service until 9pm when the library shuts and we are also getting a lot more requests for functions such as buffets now as word of the cafe’s reputation spreads.”

Councillor Jackie Stanton, cabinet member for adults and health, said: “Cafe Culture is a fantastic addition to Gallery Oldham and the Library. The team does a fabulous job and the cafe has quickly grown its own loyal army of customers and we regularly get positive feedback from the public.”