Tom WalkerNorth West, Stretford
Volunteers and people who use a cafe and community hub are celebrating after an “unbelievable” response to a fundraiser to save it from closure.
The Tea Room cafe and community space in Victoria Park in Stretford, Greater Manchester, opens seven days a week but was at risk with rising costs during the quieter winter months.
The Friends of Victoria Park Stretford’s fundraiser has hit its target of £10,000 meaning the cafe and community room, which is used by several groups, can survive until spring when it gets busier.
“There’s nowhere quite like it in and around Stretford,” said Dan, a new dad who uses it daily. “It’s a really important community asset.”
Nadia Gubba, operations manager at the Friends of Victoria Park Stretford, said the community room was used for everything from chair pilates, children’s parties as well as a classroom by local companies for training.
She said Friends of Victoria Park also held arts and crafts sessions and a nature club was funded by the charity.
The 47-year-old said there was an “unbelievable” response to the fundraiser from the community and also local businesses, which she said was “outstanding”.
Had the group not hit the target, Gubba said “the options weren’t great”, including temporary closure or reducing hours, which would have led to closing the cafe “at a time when we really are needed”.
“It provides a warm space for so many people that it just would have been the worst time to have to incorporate those measures,” she added.
Sarah Jones, who has run pilates there for four years, said: “It’s a fantastic place for the community to gather” and it was really important that it kept going.
The 54-year-old said it brought people together for the movement class and then people could spend more time together in the tea room.
“So it’s not only a kind of physical activity that benefits the community but it’s also social connection.”
Angela Ralph, 79, who goes to the pilates class, said it was “the highlight of my week”.
“It’s a lovely group,” she said.
“I look at the notices on the board and they have a group for men, they have bowls, they have gardening, they have painting, they have groups for children.”
She said it was “great fun” watching the children who go there playing with their mums and dads.
“It’s an excellent place and they work really well for the community.”
New mum Lauren said she loves going to the cafe with her seven-week-old son.
“I’ve recently started my maternity leave, and it’s really nice to be able to come here on a daily basis to get out of the house.
Her partner Dan said: “There’s nowhere that’s quite like it in and around Stretford and I think it would have had a big impact on the community, not having somewhere to shelter, somewhere to pop to the toilet and baby change.
“It’s a really important community asset, so we’re delighted it’s staying here.”