Coffee and Company is a coffee morning on the first Friday of the month, meeting in the Church Centre Foyer. The first one was on 7 October 2016 when a team of 12 volunteers greeted and served 20 visitors. The aim is to provide a welcoming place to meet friends and make new ones, and to have coffee and cake. A unique feature is the use of individual cafetieres and teapots and being served at your table.
In the Mission Action Plan for March 2015, one of the goals was to set up a regular tea/coffee morning for those in the community who were in need of company during the day. The focus of Coffee and Company is to fulfil this need for people of all ages at St Andrew’s and in the local community. Not only do the volunteers serve coffee and cake, they are also keen to engage in conversation with our visitors and get to know them.
Over the months, numbers grew until we were catering for 60+ people. We were delighted that members of Gardening with Grace joined us and residents from Airedale Nursing Home with their carers. We served the organ voicers from Harrison and Harrison and council workers gritting the pavements after a snow fall. Parents dropped in with their toddlers after taking older children to school. Many friendships were made and contacts renewed.
Café Church was formed when Coffee and Company and Sacred Space joined together on a Sunday evening in church. Worship, prayer and meditation combined to make a memorable, informal experience on two occasions. The team also took the urns, cafetieres, teapots and china into Airedale Nursing Home so that all the residents and staff could experience Coffee and Company.
After the Pandemic numbers have gradually picked up and are now between 40 – 50 each month with new people arriving after seeing the outside poster or visiting the church website.
An unexpected outcome has been the amount of money that has been raised for charity. There is no charge for coffee and cake but a donation of £1 is suggested. Due to the generosity of our visitors, we have been able to donate £3579 so far, to The Children’s Society, Salvation Army, Foodbank, Friends for Life and the Ukraine Red Cross. It is looking likely that another £500 will be given to charity again this year.
All this valuable work would not be possible without the commitment and generosity of the Coffee and Company Team of volunteers, welcoming, baking, serving, chatting, clearing away and washing up, always with a cheerful smile month after month. Your dedication is much appreciated. Thank you also to Kelly and Caroline for your support, and to Giovanni for putting out the tables and chairs in the foyer.
After 8 years I will be standing down as leader of the team at the end of this year and wish Coffee and Company every success in the future. It has been an honour and a privilege to work with you all. The hope is that a new leader will be forthcoming to take Coffee and Company into 2025.
Diane Barlow
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