North Leigh Community Café were awarded £3,000 to fund a new weekly community café for Older People 50+. Planned activities include quizzes, health and wellbeing talks and visits from organisations such as Age UK and MIND.
Creating a hub in the village
A new venture in North Leigh has hit the ground running and in just three months a community hub has been established that is starting to create a real feeling of community spirit and cohesiveness. The idea came from conversations between a small group of local men, who knew from the Neighbourhood Plan and their own observations, that there were a lot of older single households who would like more social interaction.
Although there were some well-established special interest groups including a gardening club, history society, and knit and natter group, there was nowhere for people to gather informally, have a chat and enjoy a hot drink and a snack. A grant from the Connected Communities Fund has enabled the idea of creating a community hub to become a reality.
A welcome open door
Located in North Leigh Memorial Hall, in the heart of the village, the community café has been an instant success, regularly attracting between 30 and 40 people at the weekly gatherings on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm. When I arrived in the light and airy hall I was immediately struck by the friendly buzz of people chatting. Some were puzzling over the weekly quiz questions, others enjoying a hot sausage roll and cup of tea. Volunteers were on hand, helping with refreshments and making sure that everyone was welcomed and made to feel comfortable.
One of the founding organisers told me that it has been remarkable to see people who have lived in the village for many years getting to know each other and making new friendships that extend far beyond the the weekly meet ups. He explained how they are “stitching things together” by making sure people know about other local opportunities like the film nights and church lunches. They have already organised a visit from the local Age UK coordinator who was able to offer additional information, advice and support appropriate to people’s needs.
Future plans
As the Memorial Hall is directly opposite the village Primary School, they also hope to engage with school parents and the school itself to encourage those parents and children to become part of the cafe community to help bridge the generations.
“We would hope all of this will enable elderly and potentially lonely residents to be less socially isolated and to improve their physical and mental wellbeing”.
Speaking to people, it certainly seems that they are already achieving their aims. One person told me that “its significantly improved my life”. Another said “it’s the highlight of the week”. A third commented that it had enabled her to “get to know familiar faces” she’d seen many times but not previously spoken to. All were impressed by the excellent organisation and thoughtful and inclusive approach of the organisers and felt very happy to have such an incredible asset in their village.
The Connected Communities Fund, is being delivered in partnership by OCVA and Community First Oxfordshire and has been made available by Oxfordshire County Council.