Former pub helps young people get back on feet
A FORMER Birmingham pub is beginning a new lease of life as a coffee shop staffed by people rebuilding their lives after addiction, mental health problems and homelessness.
The upper floor of the Adam and Eve pub in Digbeth had already been restored as flats for homeless people looking to get back on their feet.
Now the bar has been turned into ‘Evolve’ – a café and event space designed to provide young people with training.
Annette Fleming, chief executive of charity Aquarius, which runs the café, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be re-opening the doors of this renowned building. Our expert team will now be able to work hand in hand with our young people in both the café and event space to give them vital training and employment opportunities that will support their long term recovery.”
The pub’s owner, Spring Housing, runs the apartments and offered the café to Aquarius, with a rent free period.
Spring Housing managing director, Dominic Bradley, said: “Spring Housing supports people across the city who have housing needs but for us, that’s just the first step. We want to provide long-term stability for our young people and training and employment are a key part of that. We have been able to work with Aquarius on the Evolve project by providing space to them for a rent free period, which has given them the opportunity to set up a vital social enterprise that will help to provide that stability for our young people in the future.”
The pub closed at the end of 2014 after a string of violent attacks.