New venture at former city pub has a mission to transform lives
AFORMER 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 has 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.
Already a group of elderly locals, through a charity called Community Boost, are to meet at the cafe every week for a meal and movie.
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 build- ing. “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.”
Keith Slater, director of Community Boost, said: “This funding has given us the opportunity to bring 20 local, elderly people together at least once a week at the Evolve café where they will be provided with a lunchtime meal prepared by Evolve’s young apprentices followed by a film screening of their choice.
“Working closely in partnership with Aquarius, this project will enable us to bring together two polarised and vulnerable groups in the same space to help support them on their recovery.”
The pub closed at the end of 2014 and was sold to Spring Housing and their development partner New Leaf Living for £355,000 in 2015 and work to covert its warren of B&B rooms into studio apartments for those at risk of homelessness began in autumn 2015.
This project will enable us to bring together two polarised and vulnerable groups in the same space to help support them on their recovery Keith Slater