A new Community Cafe is set to open in the autumn in Berinsfield, providing a vibrant and modern hub for local people to meet, eat, and learn. The Berin Centre, a small charity serving Berinsfield and the surrounding area, have raised over £500,000 to construct the brand new building in the heart of the village.
Director of The Berin Centre, Laura Harte, says “the Community Cafe will not only offer delicious, healthy and affordable food, but also creates a space for local people to come together to socialise and learn. It will be a multi-purpose building, with a wide range of other activities taking place such as cooking groups and other services, and it will also be a hireable space for local people. We wanted to create a venue that the community would really feel proud of, and we can’t wait to open it to the public later in the year!”
Running alongside the charity’s existing services like the weekly Community Larder and Community Kitchen Garden, the cafe will make use of locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, including those grown on the site, and also aims to reduce food waste by using surplus food. There will be opportunities for training and volunteering, and of course plenty of good coffee!
Sam Edwards, who will be managing the cafe, says ”I’m excited to make use of local resources, like the Community Larder and the Community Kitchen Garden, to inspire delicious dishes and reduce food waste. I’m looking forward to welcoming everyone to visit the café and further developing the service with the community.”
Working with local organisations LAPD Architects and evenHaus construction firm, the building itself will be high quality, bright, and environmentally friendly. Local people have been contributing their ideas to the project for the last two years through a series of surveys and focus groups and their vision is now becoming a reality. With sustainability credentials like solar panels and an air source heat pump, the building will have a low carbon footprint, and has been designed to feel welcoming, open, and spacious.
The project has been made possible through generous donations from a range of local philanthropists, a contribution from the charity’s own funds, and grants from South Oxfordshire District Council – namely the Capital Funds Grant Scheme and the Community Infrastructure Levy.
Councillor Pieter-Paul Barker, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Property Assets, said: “We know The Berin Centre is a popular and valued facility within the village. I’m really pleased we are able to support this new community café to further enhance the centre’s offer, through both our Capital Grants Scheme and our South CIL Grant Scheme. I am very much looking forward to seeing it open later this year! This is a great example of how our funding can help community projects – and a good opportunity to remind everyone our Capital Grant funding scheme for applications of up to £75,000 IS to help improve the quality of life of local people. Visit our website for details southoxon.gov.uk/grants”
The cafe is expected to open in September, and regular updates on the building project are shared on The Berin Centre’s Facebook page /TheBerinCentre.
