PEOPLE calling in for a slice of cake at the Gateway Community Café in Launceston will find there are many opportunities to socialise and receive support.

The café’s ‘Feed a Stranger, Feed a Friend’ initiative is now up and running and is providing an invaluable service to those in the town who struggle to make ends meet.

The café — located in the former tax office on Madford Lane — is part of the Gateway 2 New Life, an ELIM Pentacostal Church, and serves hot food and drinks at value prices, Monday to Friday from 9am to 2.30pm.

It is open to all members of the public, not just those of the Christian faith.

Those who visit are able to purchase a token on the behalf of a friend or donate money to provide a hot meal for a stranger.

The ‘Feed a Stranger, Feed a Friend’ scheme allows the public to pay for a token, where they can write out the amount of money they donate and pass it on to a friend who can then use it in the café to buy themselves a meal of the token’s worth.

Or people can donate any amount to the ‘Feed a Stranger’ jar — the management team is then able to identify those who visit that are most in need and, on the public’s behalf, use the donated money to offer them a meal.

Café manager Shirley Worden said: “We accommodate everyone, not only those on low income, but anyone who needs the services we provide.

“We have had people visiting the café, who are homeless and in need of a hot meal, those on job seekers allowance who come to use our free computer services, and even the disabled who are struggling to live off the benefits they get.

“The Gateway Community Café exists to benefit the local community and offers low cost meals in a social environment.”

The café includes a sofa area, a pool table, children’s play area and four computers, all free to use, with free WiFi access.

There is disabled access, making the café available to all those who require its services.

Function rooms are also available to hire for any community groups in need of a space to hold weekly meetings, with groups already hosting events like craft sessions and pilates in two of the function rooms.

Shirley said: “The Gateway Community Café is more than just a café, we want it to be used as a community space that is utilised by those who need it.

“We are a volunteer-based organisation who work towards benefitting the community.

“Our hope is that the café will be used, not only as a place to buy tea, coffee and cake, but as a hub for groups to meet and socialise and receive a value hot meal.

“We already offer a space for community groups like Knit ‘n’ Natter who come along every Thursday between 10am and 11.30am and use the sofa area in the café to hold their weekly meetings.

“We also offer the elderly, and those on low income, a ‘special’ hot lunch and dessert service from noon until 2.30pm every Thursday, and on the second Thursday of each month there is a community roast available.

“We hope that the services we provide are able to offer support to those on low incomes or those who feel isolated and want to meet in a local place for a coffee and a chat.”

Within the Gateway Community building there are also services provided by ROC advice, a ‘friendly advice service’.

Funding from the Cornwall Community Foundation has ensured that there are two advisors available to the public who can provide benefits or housing advice, help filling out forms or online applications, or just someone to talk to.

They are not part of the Gateway 2 New Life’s café service but run alongside them in order to provide support for those who attend the café and are looking for some extra support.

Shirley explained: “ROC advisors offer a friendly, non-judgemental advice service to anyone who visits the café.

They are not part of our café but sit alongside the service we provide as a means of helping those who come to us looking for aid.

“We have heard from interested groups already but hope that the café and adjoining rooms will be used in the future by other organisations such as this, so we can provide a full-support service to the people of Launceston who most need our help.”

One woman, whose mother visited the Gateway Café looking for aid, wrote to the café and the ROC advice service thanking them for the help and support they offered her mother ‘when nobody else would not or could not find time’.

She wrote: “My mum turned up at your organisation as a last port of call. My Dad has been very ill in hospital and they needed help to fill in an ESA [Employment and Support Allowance] form.

“My mum said the kind lady she spoke to, and who helped her, was a light at the end of a very dark tunnel, right down to the cup of tea and the departing hug.”

For more information about the Gateway 2 New Life group, please visit their website www.gateway2newlife.co.uk or call Shirley Worden at the Gateway Community Café on 01566 770951 to find out about all the services available.