Nacro has opened a brand new community cafe in Staffordshire, which will be run by young people.
The Nacro Tamworth centre, runs practical training courses, for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The cafe, which is based at the centre, will be open to the public every Tuesday serving hot food, drinks and cakes at cost price to the local community.
Nacro project worker Jenny Harvey came up with the idea. She says: “Our main aim is to move the young people we work with on to college or further training, but to do that, they need practical work experience and basic qualifications.
“We sometimes struggle to find local business who are willing to offer work placements, so I came up with the idea to open our own community enterprise. By volunteering in the cafe the young people will be gaining accredited qualifications in catering and customer service, while also getting valuable work experience.”
“We want this to be a real resource for the community. Customers will be encouraged to stay and relax for as long as they like. As we’re not making any profit, the prices will be low, so it’ll be accessible and affordable for all.”
Sixteen year-old Robert Harvey from Tamworth is one of the young people who will be taking part. He is currently on a Foundation Learning course, and will be going to college in September.
He says: “We’ve been practising our cooking skills and learning about food, and we’re really looking forward to opening it up to the public. So far I’ve learned how to make Victoria sponge and shepherds pie and I’ve loved it. We’ve been working really together as a team on the project and it’s been fun to learn so many new things.”
For more information about the courses Nacro offer in Tamworth, please contact jenny.harvey@nacro.org.uk
