round about café

Round About Café Our Year Oct 2014 - Sep 15

This review is all about our customers, volunteers, staff and partners, and we’d like your feedback on it. Get in touch via:

• www.roundaboutcafe.org• facebook.com/themansbridgehub• twitter.com/roundaboutsoton

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Contents

02 Round About CaféOur Year 2014-15

Tell us what you think!

Introduction 3

Our Highlights 2014-15 4-5

Employment & Training 6-9

Supported by Volunteers 10-13

Digital Inclusion 14-17

Health & Wellbeing 18-23

Financially Sustainable 24-27

Our five aims are at the heart of what we do. They define how we work and help us to succeed as a thriving community café in the heart of Mansbridge.

We are not for profit which means we exist for more than just making money. We are passionate about being a part of the community, giving local people opportunities or support to make things better.

But we still need to be financially sustainable, which is why we’ve done lots this year to become more self sufficient and reduce reliance on staff time from Radian.

In this year’s report you can see the difference that the café has made to our volunteers and customers. We look at our aims and financial performance; and think about the next chapter in our story.

This report is designed for anyone interested in the café and what we do. Whether you are one of our valued customers, volunteers, potential partners, suppliers, or simply someone interested in our business, this report is for you.

We hope it will help you understand us better.

Introduction

Round About Café 03Our Year 2014-15

Our Highlights 2014-15


Total volunteer hours

1,971

9Café volunteers

working each week

Number of jobs created

1

7Volunteers who

have found work

Food Hygiene Rating

5(out of 5!)

Our Highlights 2014-15


Number of buffets sold

117

271 people have accessed

activities at the café Families and

individuals supported by redistribution of food from

FareShare

52

Total café sales October 14 - October 15

£13,103

Total buffet sales October 14 - October 15

£7,171

Employment & Training

Over the past year we’ve offered a wide variety of training sessions, from drama to Indian cookery, and sewing to food hygiene. We’ve hosted two pupils on work experience, signposted people to external courses and supported local businesses by giving them opportunities in the café or selling their products.

We hold a monthly job club for people who want

help looking for work, training or updating their CV. 13 people have used this service, which helped two people into work and one into training. We also provide ad-hoc support for people to look for work outside of the job club.

In the past year, an astonishing seven volunteers have moved into work after helping out at the café... a bitter sweet outcome which

means saying goodbye to wonderful volunteers whilst feeling proud that they are using skills honed at the café to move forward in their lives.

The café has provided one person with paid employment - in this case Nigel, one of our success stories, who had no experience of catering and came to us on a six month work placement a year and a half ago!

Two young people also completed work experience at the café, including Tia, the daughter of one of our volunteers.

One of the café’s primary goals is to provide a place for people to learn new skills - whether that’s through volunteering or coming along to a course or activity that we put on.


“It’s really helped my confidence”


Other TrainingSix people attended oral history training, developing skills around gathering information, interview methods and collecting data.

Two people completed a drama-based employability course, using dramatic techniques and role play to improve confidence and develop skills in body language and effective listening.

Sewing Courses12 people attended our sewing courses, working on individual projects, such as mending or altering clothes to save money. Participants also made costumes and accessories for the 1925 event, including hats and hair pieces. They are a supportive group, helping each other make sense of sewing machine and patterns.

Supporting Local BusinessesThe café continued to promote local resident Hannah’s business by supporting her to offer discounted nail treatments every other Wednesday. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement which has brought new customers to Hannah and also new customers into the café who would otherwise go to the salon. Hannah also promotes the café at her salon.

‘Skills for Life’ Fishing CourseOver eight weeks, eight people learnt practical fishing skills, and personal and social skills - including team building and problem solving skills - that are useful when seeking employment.

Food HygieneFive volunteers and one other customer passed their Food Hygiene training. This is an important part of the volunteers’ development and also an accredited qualification which will help with future work opportunities.


Nigel’s Story Café Supervisor, Nigel, has been on quite a journey since starting at the café. When he joined us he’d never even made a sandwich, but now he runs cooking classes for volunteers and customers.

Nigel came to the café on a six-month work placement through Action 4 Employment (A4e). After completing the placement he started an apprenticeship in catering, which meant he was able to continue working at the café while studying. He had no previous experience of working in a catering role and couldn’t even cook an egg! This makes it that much more of an achievement to be appointed to the Café Supervisor role.

Nigel says: “I was attracted to the café role because I like the customer contact. Before I started I’d never cooked a thing - I preferred to buy a sandwich rather than make one! Since I started working in the café my attitude towards

food has changed. I’m much more adventurous about what I’ll try and enjoy coming up with ideas for specials. The catering training has been great experience and I’m enjoying learning new skills - I’ve even learnt how to fillet a fish!

“I really like working with the volunteers - I was one myself at the British Heart Foundation before working here which helps

me to understand how to train people.

“My confidence has really grown and I feel trusted and empowered.

“I love meeting the customers and I get on well with people - in fact, one regular says I’m ‘just the right side of cheeky’!”

Round About Café 09Annual Review 2014-15

“The café has been a brilliant experience so far. I was so pleased to get the Café Supervisor role as it shows how far I’ve come since I started.”


Supported by Volunteers

Our volunteers are crucial to the viability of the café. A loyal group of regular volunteers now give over 50 hours a week. This support helps to keep café staff costs relatively low, meaning we can keep prices to a minimum and more of the café’s income can be reinvested into community activities.

We understand that people want to volunteer

in our café for many different reasons, so we offer support that is appropriate to their needs.

For those looking for work, the café provides opportunities to learn skills that could enhance their prospects, as well as an up to date reference. We know that these volunteers may be with us for only a short time and so make the most of their skills while we can! Some volunteers are retired and have time on their hands which they are looking to fill - the café relies on these to provide longer term support.

Volunteers are encouraged to learn new skills in the café and take on any aspect of the day to day running that they feel comfortable with.

This means baking cakes, preparing food, using the till, cleaning and using the coffee machine. In fact, volunteers now regularly run the café on their own when the Supervisor is on leave or training.

The café would not exist without the support of our wonderful volunteers. Whatever their motivation - gaining experience for a CV or ‘getting out of the house’ - we simply couldn’t remain open without them.


Volunteer-led initiativesSome of the volunteers donate their time and skills to lead activities that run at the café throughout the year. Shirley led the sewing groups in February and June.

Motivated by her fundraising for the British Heart Foundation, Christine led our Healthy Heart Week in March. During the week she organised a healthy walk and drop-in sessions with an NHS Health Trainer and a local pharmacist from Wainwright’s Chemists.

Shirley and Helen organised two events with money raised in the café for community activities. They organised a children’s Christmas party for 20, with refreshments and presents for each child. In January, they hosted an older people’s lunch in January for 14 local residents.

In August, local resident Louise helped to make costumes and accessories for our 1925 event.

Recruiting VolunteersWe found three new volunteers in the shape of Eli, Phil and Colin at our volunteer recruitment day at West Quay. Eli was a PhD graduate looking for some voluntary work before moving to Ireland to start a new job. He used his time at the café to improve his cooking skills.

We also welcomed a further five volunteers - Gabi, Ginny, Ellen, Kerry and Jane - who joined us throughout the year.

Moving on...We were delighted this year that seven of our incredible volunteers found paid work: Annette, Gabi, Matt, Maria, Nikita, Ellen and Christine. All of them told us that their time at the café has given them valuable skills and experience that helped them find work. These included working as part of a team, confidence in meeting new people and transferable skills such as cash handling.


ChristineChristine has been with the café since the very beginning, offering her time during the set up phase and then volunteering in the café every other week. Christine says:

“I gave up work when my youngest daughter was born. I started volunteering at the café when she started pre-school as I had a few hours to spare. I enjoyed doing something outside of the home, working as part of a team and gaining new experiences and skills. It helped to keep my self esteem high while I wasn’t working; it provided a good halfway house between staying at home, caring for my family and returning to work. It meant that I was ready for work when the time came.”

EllenEllen moved to Mansbridge earlier this year and has been volunteering since April after walking past the café. Ellen was looking for something to fill her time while setting up her own jewellery business. Ellen says:

“I was looking for something to do in the area. I suffer from depression and want to increase my confidence in meeting people.

“Since starting, I have learnt to use the till and coffee machine which is helpful in looking for work. I feel safe here and I can use the internet, which I don’t have at home.”

ShirleyShirley was encouraged to volunteer after visiting the café with her granddaughter and getting into a conversation with staff about how she enjoys baking. 18 months later, Shirley has run sewing groups, children’s and older people’s activities and regularly bakes in the café. Shirley says:

“I enjoy getting involved in community projects and having a laugh and joke with customers. I’ve always been quite sociable and have experience working in catering, so it’s great that although I retired I’ve still been able to put my skills to good use.”

Supported by Volunteers

GinnyGinny joined us in July, shortly after giving up volunteering at another community café. Ginny now does a weekly shift at the Round About Café and says:

“I enjoy meeting new people and spending time in company, as well as being active. I like working here - the people are great, and so is the cake! I’ve always been a very sociable person and found that once I’d retired I started losing confidence. Since starting at the café I feel like I’ve gained confidence again - it’s given me the boost I needed.”

Jane NJane N was a regular café customer before she started volunteering in July after passing her food hygiene certificate. Jane says:

“I’m relatively new to the area and the café seemed so jolly I felt it would be a good way to get to know people. It’s great to see other volunteers, like Maria, grow and move onto other things. It’s a really positive place; there’s plenty going on for all ages and it really encourages interaction between people who might not otherwise get to know each other. It’s also helped people who might be isolated to make links in their community. Volunteering here gives me a sense of purpose and my wellbeing has definitely improved.”

KerryKerry started working at the café in September 2015 after coming in to ask about voluntary opportunities. She is currently looking for work after a long break while she brought up her children. Kerry says:

“I think the café is brilliant. I moved here about a year ago and so volunteering has helped me meet new people, as well as gain new skills. I’ve learnt how to use the coffee machine and have gained experience working in a kitchen, which means I can look for catering jobs. I’ve also now got a reference when I need one. I work here two days a week and really enjoy it.”

Jane BJane B has volunteered every other week at the café since it opened. She says she started volunteering because:

“I believe in the ethos of the café - for the community, by the community - in that it serves as a place to meet, for people to see friends, hold meetings or simply get out of the house.

“I enjoy seeing people do things they didn’t believe they could do. I’d never worked in a kitchen before and my family couldn’t believe I wanted to volunteer in a café, but it turns out that you can teach old dogs new tricks!”


Maria’s Story Maria has recently found a job in catering after volunteering at the café for six months. During her time at the Round About, her confidence has grown enough to return to work for the first time in ten years.

Maria started at the café in May 2015, having been out of work for ten years and looking for an opportunity to learn new skills, meet people and gain confidence. The transformation in Maria is amazing - she has slowly grown in confidence and taken on responsibilities that she wouldn’t have dreamt of when she started.

Maria says: “This has been a great opportunity for me. I’ve really grown in confidence and I feel very lucky to be here. I’ve learnt so much. It’s such a lovely place to work - the people, atmosphere and food are great.

“The café referred me to a confidence building course which I found life changing. I feel that I’ve

really moved forwards since starting here - I’ve even felt confident enough to start looking for work again, which has led to me getting my first job in ten years!

“The café has made me feel valued. I felt really low before I started volunteering at the café and nervous of mixing with people again. I started on the till and gradually moved on to using the coffee machine and then preparing the food - now people are coming to me for help!

“I feel much more relaxed now. I’ve developed skills in being more assertive and dealing with difficult situations. Without the support of the café I wouldn’t have had the confidence to look for work again.”

Round About Café 23Annual Review 2014-15Round About Café 13Annual Review 2014-15“This is

a really fantastic

place.

It’s helped me to

feel like myself again”


Digital Inclusion

It’s becoming increasingly important to be able to use the internet to research information, access benefits and look for work - and we want to make sure the facilities and services we provide in the café help people to improve their knowledge and not get left behind.

Our laptops and WiFi are very well used by the community. Café staff have provided informal support to people looking for work and training and help where they can.

We also have a printer for customers to use, which provides a vital resource to those without printing facilities at home.

We want to offer creative ways to help people get to know the internet. We have held ancestry sessions, encouraging people to use the internet to find out more about history, in particular the men who fought at Gallipoli in World War One.

The Tech Club, which ran for a total of nine weeks, helped people to find out more about mobile devices including iPads, tablets, smart phones and more. We even made an animation film!

The café offers use of laptops, WiFi and printing. We want to support our customers to access the ever-changing world of technology so provide opportunities to use the internet, as well as offering practical help for getting online.

Did you know?

Two local Mansbridge men, Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Frederick Wolfe and Private Albert Boyes, fought at Gallipoli? Both names appear on the Stoneham War Shrine.

Photography Course

Over three weeks, six participants learned about using an SLR digital camera creatively to take better photographs. Working with a professional photographer, the group gained confidence in moving away from the ‘auto’ setting. They also learnt about downloading, editing and sharing photos online.

The course was also a great opportunity to discover more about the history of Mansbridge and produce photos of the area that will be used as part of an exhibition at the local primary school.

Tech ClubOriginally scheduled for six sessions, the Tech Club was extended to nine weeks due to overwhelming popularity. Throughout the course, 18 participants aged 9-90 enjoyed getting together to learn about using laptops, phones and tablets. Michael - an IT specialist from Silver Training - led the sessions, which covered everything from social media to stop-frame animation, photography and streaming music and film.

A lot of the group are older so it’s a chance for them to get out, meet new people and develop new friendships. Most importantly, it’s giving them access to tools like Skype that have given them new ways to stay in touch with friends and family all over the world. It’s also been a great chance for them to share their own skills, knowledge and experiences with each other, discuss problems they were having and ask questions.


Mike’s Story Mike was keen to explore the benefits of going digital and finding out some of the services that are available online.

Mike lives in Mansbridge and attended our Tech Club which took place over the summer. He heard about it through speaking to someone in the café.

Before he attended the Tech Club he didn’t have a tablet, but as he was interested in widening his skills and keeping up with technology, he bought one in time to come along and learn about how to use it.

Mike says: “I came along to Tech Club to brush up on my IT skills. The tablet was all new to me and I wanted to learn more about how I could use it.

“I learnt quite a lot – I found out about how to use Skype on it so I can keep in touch with friends abroad. I also got into making the animation which I enjoyed; it was amazing to see how much we were able to do with the basic equipment that we had.

“We found out about apps that are available, some of which I now use all the time and have shown friends how to use. I enjoyed it very much. I’m now a regular at the café. I like coming here to meet other people; it’s got a good atmosphere.”

To see the video that Mike and the group made at the Tech Club, scan the QR code below using a QR reader on your smart phone:

Round About Café 17Annual Review 2014-15

“The best thing about it was meeting other people and learning together. We

were also able to help

each other when we got

stuck.”


Health & Wellbeing

All of our food served in the café is made in the café from scratch, using a variety of fresh ingredients. We use healthier cooking methods, minimal oil and our ingredients are good quality (including our 80% pork sausagemeat for our famous sausage rolls!).

We’ve been working with NHS Health Trainers to

offer lifestyle courses such as the Healthy Weight course to help people understand portion sizes, food labelling and get support to lose weight. Our Healthy Heart Week in April saw seven residents come in to have their blood pressure checked, resulting in a number of referrals to GPs for further checks.

Over a hundred people have attended our history events, which have included a celebration of 90 years of Swaythling Housing Society, a commemoration of the Gallipoli campaign and a VE day event. These have been part of a wider history project, involving local people and encouraging older and younger residents to work together to learn about the history of their area.

As well as offering healthy, good quality food in the café, we’ve been working with local health advisors to promote healthy living. We’re also focused on wellbeing, which includes offering activities for people to learn new things, enjoy being active in the community and meet other people.


Healthy Heart Week Organised by volunteer Christine, we spent a week in April promoting heart health. This included a Health Trainer drop in session, a local healthy walk and a morning of blood pressure and health checks by Sid Dajani, a local pharmacist from Wainwrights Chemist.

These health checks resulted in a number of referrals to people to see their GP for further blood pressure and diabetes investigation.

Sid was very impressed with the café’s “amazing foresight in increasing access to health services”.

Kids Can Cook

Two courses for children aged 4-12 taught valuable skills from every aspect of preparing and cooking a meal. Everything from using knives to chop vegetables to making burgers from scratch was covered, with an emphasis on using fresh ingredients and healthy options. It was also an opportunity for the children to try new vegetables and find out more about where food comes from.

Cook and Eat At two courses delivered by Health Champions, participants learnt how to make a variety of dishes from scratch, including chicken nuggets, burgers and dishes that they would otherwise buy from a takeaway.

One participant said: “I will never buy chicken nuggets again now I know how easy they are to make”.

Participants told us they had grown in confidence around cooking at home, budgeting meals and feeling motivated to cook from scratch.

Healthy Weight GroupLocal NHS Health Trainer Emma Mason ran an eight week healthy living course. The group of six learnt about portion sizes, what to look for on food labels at the supermarket and the benefits of exercise.

By the end of the course, participants reported increasing their exercise, reducing the amount of sugar they ate and feeling more confident in making healthier choices.


Health & Wellbeing

Supporting FamiliesWe worked with two local schools to run three courses promoting positive parenting skills.

16 parents came together to explore techniques around building positive relationships with their children. They looked at praising and encouraging behaviour, teaching children new skills, setting rules and taking care of themselves as parents.

Parents and children were invited on a visit to Bursledon Brickworks to take an interactive tour of the museum, giving them the opportunity to spend time together and learn more about their area’s history. They were also invited on a fishing experience day which was a chance to spend some quality time with their children, relax in a tranquil setting and learn new skills.

Indian Cookery CourseFunded by Health Champions, a group learnt how to make a variety of Indian dishes from scratch, with an emphasis on using fresh ingredients and healthier cooking techniques,

People who took part said that they now feel more confident about cooking Indian food from scratch as a tastier, cheaper and healthier alternative to ordering takeaways.

Round About Café 23Our Year 2014-15Round About RemembersWe’ve held a number of sessions throughout the year to commemorate important historical events, which have been attended by more than a hundred people.

Many residents enjoyed hearing a rendition of the Last Post at our event in November 2014, where local people read excerpts from Lt Richard Willis Fleming’s diary from WW1.

Residents and local school pupils turned out for our Gallipoli commemoration event, where historical artefacts were on display.

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the setting up of the Swaythling Housing Society, the local community joined in a number of activities over the summer. In August, the café was transported back to 1925 to explore what life was like then. ‘Herbert Collins’ paid a visit to share his vision and local residents were able to share their memories of life on the estate over the last 90 years.

The project focused primarily on reducing social isolation and promoting digital inclusion through research workshops, photography workshops and working with a local theatre group to deliver a performance. The project has also targeted people who are housebound by taking part in a strolling play and sharing their stories.


Phil’s Story Volunteer Phil started working at the café after meeting the team at a volunteering event in Southampton. Having been out of the workplace for a long time, it was an opportunity to “get back into the real world again”

Phil started volunteering in April 2015. Having previously worked in a high pressured, busy job, he’d given up work to care full time for his mum for five years before her death.

Phil says: “What attracted me to the café was that volunteering here offered a hands-on opportunity - you get stuck in from the outset. I could see myself learning and being able to do it. It’s not too much pressure and I enjoy it.

“The best thing for me is meeting people, getting to know the regulars and the camaraderie amongst volunteers. We like to have a laugh!

“The café has given me a lot more confidence - without my experience here I don’t know if I would feel confident about going back to work. Before I started I felt I was on the brink of a downward spiral and didn’t want to do anything...the café has

given me something to get up for and get my teeth into.

“I’ve even been inspired to start baking cakes at home! Seeing the other volunteers baking has given me confidence to do it myself. Shirley gave me a recipe for a Victoria Sponge and off I went - my friends didn’t believe I’d baked it!”

“I was so nervous about my first shift, I hardly slept. But after the first session I knew it was going to be ok.”


Financially Sustainable

Underpinning our wider social objectives is the need for the café to make enough money to cover running costs and remain open.

Volunteers working in the café means that we can save on staffing costs. We have one full time member of staff who is supported by a team of volunteers, who together manage the day to day running of the café.

Receiving produce from FareShare that we can

use in the café means that we can keep our shopping costs low and reflect these savings in our prices. Any surplus can then be reinvested in community activities.

Hiring out the café for parties, events and courses brings in further money (£500 this year).

Making a huge contribution to our income, our catering service has really flourished over the past year - we’ve got a great

supporter in Radian and have catered nearly 120 buffets, bringing in a total revenue of £7,171.

Café sales remain steady, with £13,103 coming in for food sold in the café. That’s a lot of cake!

This all paints a very positive picture for the café - but we’re not getting complacent. We need to keep building on this: our target over the next three years is to increase our yearly income by another £10,000 to fully cover our costs.

The café is a not for profit enterprise. Our aim is to make enough money to cover the running costs of the café and pay the bills while providing good quality food at an affordable price.

Thank you to all our partners who have helped the café be so successful this year


Cake... now even more of a luxury!Our volunteers helped us to come up with new ways of increasing income, such as the introduction of ‘luxury cakes’ that we now sell.

£13,103£7,171

Café sales Buffet sales

Feedback about our buffets:

“the quality of the food is brilliant”

“very tasty and fresh”

“the cakes are amazing!”Thank you to everyone who has ordered a buffet from the Round About Café in the past year and taken the time to give us feedback. We really appreciate your support.

Sales Oct 2014 - Sep 2015

RadianHampshire Constabulary FareShareMansbridge Primary SchoolActiveTravel SouthamptonFluid Motion Theatre CompanyPompey PalsSouthzone Dance Academy

Willis Fleming Historical TrustSilver TrainingStephane Rocher PhotographyRob Luckins Film CompanyNow HeritageEastleigh Football ClubNHS Health TrainersUniversity of Southampton

Oct-14

Nov-14

Dec-14

Jan-15

Feb-15

Mar-15

Apr-15

May-15

Jun-15

Jul-15

Aug-15

Sep-15

Café

Buffets

Monthly Sales

£1011.81

£1,644.33

£1,418.75

£1,428.41

£2,674.52

£2,245.08

£1,589.53

£1,646.12

£2,035.25

£2,014.85

£2,414.76

£2,682.13

Round About Café12 Westfield CornerMansbridgeSouthamptonHampshireSO18 2LE

www.roundaboutcafé.org

023 8067 2700

café@roundaboutcafé.org

Round About Café

@roundaboutsoton

Opening times:

Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm

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