Community centre cafe to get £10,000 makeover

Visitors to the Firthmoor and District Community Association on Burnside Road were invited to suggest ways of improving the centre and when a new cafe topped the wish list, the centre’s trustees commissioned plans for a complete overhaul of the cafe area.

The estimated £10,000 refurbishment costs are coming out of the centre’s budget and chairman Kevin Nicholson admitted that the Association was lucky to be in a position to make such a large investment.

“In this economic climate, for a charity of our size, it is quite a lucky thing to be doing,” he said.

“We are not well off, but we have been very conservative with our budget.

“It is an exciting time and an ambitious project.”

Mr Nicholson explained that the present cafe resembles a “work canteen” and it is the Association’s intention to transform it into a classier establishment akin to the likes of Starbucks and Costa Coffee.

Mr Nicholson said: “We want to transform it into something a little bit more luxurious, a bit more upmarket.

“We put the first set of drawings on display for people to look at because we want to be transparent about what we are doing.

“It is a remarkable achievement.

“Despite the economic climate we have bucked the trend because we have a really good team of people working day and night to achieve these things.”

The makeover will include complete redecoration, new tables and chairs and even new uniforms for the staff.

Community centre users voted for an improved cafe during a consultation in March this year and it is hoped that the work will start in the first week of November and be finished before Christmas.

The Firthmoor and District Community Association is a charitable association set up by members of the local community over 30 years ago.

It is run by a combination of local volunteer trustees and employees and its services now include a nursery, play group, youth provision, community kitchen, a multi-use games area and a dental surgery.