A community cafe in Long Eaton has provided more than 1,000 free breakfasts to locals over the last year.
Petersham Community Breakfast Cafe, which this week celebrated its first anniversary with homemade birthday cake and party games, offers free breakfasts to anyone who comes along on Mondays between 9am and 12pm.
In addition to providing meals the cafe, which runs from Petersham Hall, in Grasmere Road, operates as a centre for local residents get advice and support on a variety of issues.
A Citizens Advice worker is on hand to offer help, and local councillors hold surgeries there. For the unemployed there's a recently-opened job club which runs alongside the cafe between 10am and 12 pm with advice on creating an effective CV, job interview skills and job search.
For those on low income worried about high energy bills the cafe’s volunteers will search for the cheapest tariff, as well as making benefit checks to make sure people are getting all they are entitled to.
“The problems facing some of the people coming to us can include homelessness, debt, unemployment and benefit delay,” said project co-ordinator Carl McCarthy from Hope Long Eaton, a local group with a Christian ethos.
“And not everyone who turns up is experiencing hardship. Many of those coming here just want to pop in for a chat and make new friends in the community.”
Craft activities, games and a small play area for young children are also available.
Run and staffed by mainly Christian volunteers, the initiative has been funded by Derbyshire Public Health and relies on food donations from Tesco, Asda, The Co-op and local charity the Canaan Trust.
Hope is looking to enlarge its operations to run more activities and is now seeking funding and volunteers. To help contact 0783 8357262 or email hopelongeaton@gmail.com
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