Church will provide community cafe in Old Colwyn park

Dec 9 2010 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

A CHURCH will open a cafe in a public park and is hoping to receive community support to help run the venture which will raise money for local good causes.

The £60,000 facility will be at the so called Church in the Park at Min y Don Park in Old Colwyn. The United Reformed Church Mission Development Fund is providing most of the £60,000 needed and the remainder is being raised by worshippers.

“Over the years it has been necessary to adapt our mission to suit the needs of the community. This is what we intend to do with our cafe project.

“The basic idea is a very simple one. We will convert a large room in the church campus into a café where snacks will be served to members of the community frequenting the adjacent park.

“There we will serve mothers with young children and more senior members of our community in the village of Old Colwyn.

“On the grassed area outside the church we will have picnic tables and seats where in good weather mothers will be able to have a coffee and at the same time keep an eye on their offspring in the park play area. The site is already overlooked by the CCTV cameras,” said church spokesman John Alun Jones.

He explained facilities inside the building will be installed to the highest standards of health and hygiene, including easy access toilets and child changing facilities.

But he said help would be needed to run the cafe which will raise money for local good causes.

“As a church we will not be able to staff the operation entirely by ourselves. Nor would we wish to, as this is seen as a community activity. Consequently we are looking for staffing help from other churches and from the local community.

“The church will not retain a single penny from the profits. After deducting running costs, a management committee made up of the helpers will decide how to distribute any surplus income to deserving causes within the locality,” explained Mr Jones.