Congresbury Community Cafe Ltd is a charitable community benefit society and opened in February 2019 in premises at Bridge House in the High Street, generously donated by Debbie Fortune Estate Agents, originally set up to fundraise for the new village hall.
Since then it’s grown from strength to strength and in liaison with the Debbie Fortune team, all surplus profits from the cafe are used to support village groups or activities, as well as local and some national charities. The total raised to date since 2019 is a whopping £22,312! This month they are assisting the Debbie Fortune team to kick-start their fundraising for Weston Hospicecare and are aiming to raise over £700 during October.
The café is managed by a committee and headed up by Ian Sheppard, who explained, “The café team is entirely made up of volunteers, and currently we have 48 volunteers; 24 of whom bake delicious homemade cakes and scones for us and also help run the sessions. We have a lovely courtyard when the weather is warm enough to sit out, which is also useful for when we run our ‘Glut market’ – where surplus produce and plants are donated to us and then sold on to our customers, reducing waste and providing a regular supply of freshly grown vegetables and plants – you should see the amount of fruit we collect from our plum trees at the end of the summer!”
“We are hugely grateful to Rory Ireland, a Director of Bristol Tea and Coffee Co https://bristol-twenty.co.uk who helped us set up the café, and they supply our hot drink supplies, including their award-winning Heritage blend coffee and their delicious dark hot chocolate – a favourite with the Debbie Fortune staff!”
The cafe has become a valuable asset to the Congresbury community and its surrounding villages, and also encourages local artists to display their artwork. Even local MP Tessa Munt holds a monthly surgery there.
The cafe is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 9am till 1pm. (not open on bank holidays).
Please note the cafe is closed for a week between 22-24 October.
You can read more on their website here: Congresbury community Cafe – Home
