Open Hands Community Cafe - Launching 14th July 2009

Every Tuesday 11am-3pm

If you are interested in an affordable meal in an informal, relaxed environment then look out for The Open Hands Community Café. A new, exciting community venture happening at St. Peters Community Centre, Hillfields, Coventry.

Open Hands is a community café which means that we operate for the benefit of the local community. There are toys, board games, cookery demonstrations and a chance to play music, to exhibit local work, hold quizzes and advertise local projects /opportunities.

There are different charges for waged or unwaged customers of the café. Money given through the purchasing of food helps to subsidise unwaged meals and provide cookery demos showing people how to cook cheap, healthy meals.

Through the Open Hands Community Café project we will be offering volunteering/learning opportunities in such things as: catering, customer service, allotment skills, healthy living, food hygiene/first aid certificates and budgeting. These will be learnt either in the café itself or at our community allotment.

Improve your self-confidence and self-esteem, learn new skills, meet new people in a friendly environment and gain references.

Training (and certificates) are available (subject to funding) in such topics as Basic Food Hygiene, First Aid and Introduction to Youth Work Skills (subject to training dates). Open College Network Level 1 are available in Healthy Living or Gardening.

Fairtrade Certification


Green Garden Cafe obtained Fairtrade certification on the 7th May!

Click to find out more about the Fairtrade Foundation.

Veggie Pride UK


A Fantastic Fun Filled Festival and Carnival Procession!!

Saturday 16th May in Birmingham City Centre

On Saturday 16 May 2009, Victoria Square in Birmingham City Centre will be transformed by Veggie Pride UK - a fantastic celebration of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. It`s an opportunity for everyone following compassionate, eco-friendly, healthy lifestyles to come together for a fun, carnival style event whilst also raising awareneness of the many benefits - for human health, animals, environment etc.

Veggie Pride UK will include info & product stalls, live music & entertainers, a vibrant & colourful carnival procession, best costume/banner contest and lots, lots more...!!

This will be a totally unique event, the first ever Veggie Pride in the UK. Never before has an outdoor veggie/vegan festival been staged in such a prominent position, where many 1,000`s of people will flow past during the day. And never before has a carnival procession been solely devoted to the celebration and promotion of compassionate, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles! Make sure you`re part of this amazing event!

www.butcherscat.com

Climate Change Day of Action

‘Time is running out for the climate and the vulnerable people of our planet. Campaigning with Christian Aid, CAFOD and members of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition has never been more crucial. Make sure you add your voice at the Climate Change Day of Action!’

Dr James Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

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Launch

Friday 23rd May 2008 saw the launch of the Green Garden Cafe. They are based at The Coventry Foyer, which is a young people?s centre and have full use of the kitchens there in return for carrying out some voluntary youth work with some of the young people that live there.

'Green Garden Cafe' is a not for profit social enterprise that offers dairy free, pure vegetarian, catering for any occasion. We plan to be as environmentally friendly as possible by using as much locally sourced organic products as are available and by using, environmentally friendly, biodegradable packaging wherever possible. We can deliver catering to Coventry, Warwickshire and the surrounding areas.

Working with young People

Incorporated under the banner of the Green Garden Cafe is the chance for organisations/individuals to buy in environmental and social youth work programmes tailored to meet the needs of young people concerned.

Green Garden Cafe work with young people on accredited programmes such as OCN and vinvolved.

They also work with local junior and secondary schools focusing upon healthy living, cooking and independent living skills and can incorporate issue based work e.g. Team building, anger management and young womens work.

Working on the Allotment

Green Garden Cafe have a large organic community allotment within the city maintained all year round.

This involves both young people and other volunteers providing the necessary labour. The idea behind the allotment is for the young people to participate in the growing of organic fruit and vegetables, some of which will be used in Green Garden Café's catering and the rest will be offered to the young people to distribute as they choose.