Community Café 2025

Our Community Café ran fortnightly throughout the year, providing a welcoming and inclusive place where individuals and families from different backgrounds could come together.

It was about much more than sharing a meal. The Café gave people a regular opportunity to meet others, have a conversation, make new connections and feel part of their local community. For people experiencing loneliness or isolation, having somewhere friendly to go and people to talk to made a real difference.

Free and low-cost food was also available for individuals and families who needed additional support, helping to ease some of the pressure caused by rising food and household costs.

Workshops and Activities

Alongside the Café, we introduced participants to a range of workshops and activities, including mindfulness, music, yoga and creative sessions.

These gave people the opportunity to try something new, develop skills, focus on their wellbeing and spend time with others in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The Café also brought together people from different cultures and backgrounds. Food, conversation and activities created natural opportunities for people to share their experiences, traditions and stories.

This helped make the Café somewhere people could feel comfortable, included and valued.

Community Fridge at Selhurst #Merky FC HQ

Alongside the Café, our Community Fridge at Selhurst #Merky FC HQ provided practical support to local people who were struggling with the cost of food.

Surplus food was made available for people to collect, helping individuals and families access food while also preventing good food from going to waste.

But, like the Café, the Community Fridge became about more than food. People stopped for a chat, got to know others and found out about other support and activities available to them.

For people experiencing financial hardship or social isolation, that regular contact and friendly welcome could be just as important as the food they received.

Working with FareShare

Our partnership with FareShare played an important part in the project. Food donations helped us keep the Community Fridge stocked and also provided food that could be used through the Café and at community activities.

Donated food was distributed directly through the Community Fridge and used to support meals provided through the Café and community events. This allowed us to make good use of surplus food while getting it to people who could benefit from it.

Together, the Café and Community Fridge supported up to 100 people each week, helping individuals and families access food at a time when household budgets were under real pressure.

But the project was about more than food. It also gave people somewhere welcoming to meet, talk and feel connected to others in their community.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our partners and volunteers. Their time, energy and commitment helped create a space where people felt welcome, supported and part of their community.