Woodingdean Community Cafe - appeal
Woodingdeaninbusiness receieved the e-mail below from Councillor Dee Simpson.
The Java cafe is a fantastic community cafe - where you get a friendly welcome and a great breakfast (thanks Charlie!).
Please read the message below and if you can do anything to help please get in touch with Dee, Dee.Simson@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
***Please forgive me writing to you but I am sending this appeal to everyone in my address book to see if anyone can suggest a way to help.
As you probably know we have been running ‘JAVA’ Woodingdean’s community café for 9 years now.
Over that period it has proved its worth so many times in so many ways with the opportunities it has given to young and old to make friends, build confidence and feel part of the community by volunteering and as a safe comfy meeting place where everyone is welcome and feels accepted even on their own.
Now we are at a crossroads.
When the Community Association took the lease on the café, it also had to take over the flat above.
Recently it became necessary to evict the tenant because of non payment of rent. This had to be done through the courts and the final outstanding bill has reached £5000. As if this wasn’t bad enough for a small voluntary organisation like ours that really works from month to month financially, the flat had been very badly treated.
Through the help of small number of volunteers including Mears, the Council’s housing contractor, and a loan from the Community Association, we felt we were moving forward and were looking to have the flat ready for reoccupation by the end of next week. The aim was to do this as quickly as possible as all the time it’s empty we are getting no income from it.
Now we have hit the ultimate hurdle.
Following an electric safety check on Monday, the flat requires a complete rewire! An early estimate as to the cost of this is between £3000 and £4000 and could be even higher! The cost of the materials needed is apparently the greatest part of this.
We are at a loss to know what to do and are asking ourselves lots of questions.
Would it be possible to raise this money through the community?
Is there anyone or any business that could donate materials?
If you know anyone who can help us or can come up with any suggestions we would love to hear them.
The last thing anyone wants is to have to close the café and walk away.
Thank you for your time taken to read this.***
The volunteers and customers of Java and Woodingdean Community Association.
The Java cafe is open Mon - Fri 8am to 3pm, Sat 8am to 1pm and Sun 8am to 1pm
If you would like to volunteer to work in the cafe please contact Dee.Simson@brighton-hove.gov.uk
