From plot to plate: new community café for Westwood

Peterborough residents are set to benefit from the launch of a fantastic new community café and garden in the west of the city – offering a welcoming space for local people to come together, learn new skills, and enjoy delicious and healthy food

This spring, fantastic evidence of local organisations and communities achieving great results by coming together in partnership can be seen at Hampton Court, in Westwood. The hard work has resulted in a new community café and garden recently opening its doors, thanks to the WestRaven Big Local project. The project has been brought to fruition by a team of passionate residents and volunteers and supported by local organisations such as the charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) and Cross Keys Homes, who is the locally trusted organisation for the project.

The newly-opened café and garden is part of a major investment project led by WestRaven Big Local, the community organisation that represents the residents of Westwood and Ravensthorpe. The organisation has received a £1 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund to help make improvements in the area. Westwood and Ravensthorpe has historically been ranked nationally within the 15% most disadvantaged wards in the UK. Although a number of families have struggled with a lack of resources, residents feel the area retains a wonderful community spirit and a real sense of people caring for one another.

Big Local is a long-term and innovative programme that aims to achieve long lasting change. It seeks to empower people who live in the area to build on local talents and aspirations so they can help make their neighbourhood an even better place to live, both now and for years to come.

‘Our aim was always to create a welcoming space for local residents to enjoy and to leave a lasting legacy in the neighbourhood,’ explains the Community Development Worker Jen Orrell. ‘We want to create a better place to live, work and enjoy for everyone and to create an area where there is improved health and well-being for all.’

Jen continues: ‘We wanted to encourage local people to feel positive about the possibility of change and to feel inspired to get involved with the project. The hard work of residents and volunteers has been integral to the scheme.’

Before starting on the project, the West Raven Big Local team consulted with residents in the area, to decide where the grant would be best spent, and then they worked in partnership with local organisations to ensure the plans would come to fruition. Kevin Earl, Community Café Manager said, ‘We have worked closely with local residents from both Westwood and Ravensthorpe to provide something that will make a positive and lasting impact for everyone in the local community. The café will not only serve fresh food, but it will have a strong social responsibility where the community will be able to learn skills, and meet new people.’

The café now includes a kitchen, a wheelchair accessible training kitchen, community area and a youth space with recording equipment. The café furniture was made from recycled wooden pallets and provided by people from the local prison. The cafe will serve affordable, healthy and (where possible) seasonal or local food. Much of the ingredients are provided by FareShare, the organisation that takes surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, to redistribute it elsewhere The café will be a hive of activity with regular cultural, arts, intergenerational, youth and support sessions.

Not only does the café provide a fantastic learning space, but there is also a community garden situated near Raventhorpe Primary School for volunteers to get involved with and for events to take place in. Produce from the garden will be used in both the school kitchen and the community café, to show the true ‘plot to plate’ ethos. The café, garden and accompanying events will be real assets to the local community, and will make a lasting and positive difference to the area. The project has been supported by passionate local people and organisations – who together are making a real difference in Peterborough.

Get involved!
The café is now open 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday and on special event weekends. To find out more about the café, call 01733 330040 or go to www.westraven.co.uk

Plus find the project on Facebook and Twitter @WestRaven