Who Are We……..
We are aiming to be "a café with a difference at the heart of the community" intent on bringing positive change to the area.
We want to bring together all members of the community to help those at risk of isolation, social disadvantage and people going through challenging times.
We are staffed by volunteers and funded mainly by donations. What we receive freely we will give freely with no stipulation on price.
We run like a normal cafe where everyone is welcome, we accept donations if people feel they want to give.
We have been set up as a CIC since september 2018.
Our Aims
Thurso Community Café is a Community Interest Company which is intended to provide support - food, emotional support and the opportunity to volunteer - to those struggling and disadvantaged within the community. We operate a community café on ‘pay what you can’ basis, a Community Larder and our own supported volunteer programme. We also host an addiction recovery support group. Everything that we do is intended to benefit the most vulnerable in our community and the café is intended as a place which helps combat isolation as well as address food-poverty.
What We Do.
The café is open four days a week, staffed by fifteen volunteers operating on a shift basis. The befriending aspect of the café is as important to many of those who visit the café as the food and hot drinks we serve.
Our outdoor Community Larder is available to anyone and accessible at any time of day or night. Approximately 100 people per week make use of the Larder and we are indebted to a number of donors who ensure it always remains topped up.
How We Do It.
The café is supported by donations. The bulk of our food comes from three local supermarkets who provide us with their surpluses, from local shops and from members of the public, and there is no stipulation on price – people can pay £10 or 10p or nothing at all.
The café is well supported by the community and prior to lockdown we had a foot fall of 200-400 per week, depending on the season. The café also provides opportunities for volunteering. This is confidence-building and can be the first step to paid employment for those who have been some time away from the job market or who are looking for their first work experience.
Who We Do It With.
The café has strong relationships with other local community organisations. We work with Thurso Community Development Trust to keep the Larder stocked and also the Caithness food bank who pass on their surplus food.
We are open
Monday
10am-2pm
Wednesday
10am-2pm
Friday
10am-2pm
Saturday
10am-2pm
Thurso Community Cafe, Thurso Harbour, Thurso, KW14 8DE Thursocc@yahoo.com