Lhanbryde Community Centre opens new Cuppa Café
THE Lhanbryde Community Café has returned, after 10 years of closure.
The Cuppa Café at the village's community centre reopened on Friday September 2.
The café's return was the idea of the community centres new committee, led by Chair Katrina Carey and Vice Chair Susan Sutherland, who wanted to make good home-made food and a gathering place available to the local community again.
Within 11 weeks of taking charge, the pair were able to organise the re-opening of the Cuppa Café which is the only café currently within the village.
Susan said: "The café has been closed for over 10 years, so it's really good to have it open again.
"We're a charity, so we are hoping that by selling food we can help keep the café open, but we mainly want to create a space for people to come to.
"There are lots of people struggling in the village just now with the price of gas and electric going up. We're going to be doing soup, sandwiches and puddings, so at least they're getting a hot meal and after Covid we want to be able to get people back into the community again and have some company.
"We're not here to make loads of money, we're here to engage with the community and to help them get out and get some food inside them and they can pay what they can pay.
The café, which runs on help from volunteers to keep food affordable, desperately needs volunteers to support their new venture with Susan currently doing most of the work herself.
Katrina said: "We have lots of things we want to do with the community centre if we can get the funds and volunteers to come and help us.
"We want to start a youth club and our dream is to be able to employ people here and help them get back to work.
"We really just want the café to be a hub for the community, somewhere safe and warm that they can come and spend time.
"Inclusion and community are at the heart of it, we want the centre to become a community base so everyone is able to come and use the space.
"We just need the community to support us and volunteers to come and help."
The Cuppa Café at Lhanbryde Community Centre will be open from 9am - 2pm on weekdays and from 10am - 2pm over Saturdays and Sunday.
