Firm pours funding into community cafe
Hub will help parents
A charity cafe, set up to allow parents to relax while their children play, is due to launch in Hamilton.
Juniors Cafe opens in June following a £2500 grant from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) – the regeneration arm of Tata Steel which supports organisations in traditional steel communities.
The Campbell Street drop-in is the second from Families Like Us, which also has a base in Larkhall.
And the community hub is the brainchild of lone parent Lesley Robertson, who wanted to create a place where parents and children had access to activities and a support network.
Established to overcome isolation among parents, Juniors Café will become a resource centre for customers, providing information about what help is available in the area. There is also an emphasis on education, with pay-as-you-go access to activities for toddlers and babies, including Movers & Shakers, Baby Club and Bookwork.
Lesley, who founded the charity in 2015, said; “When individuals are faced with raising children on their own, it can be a hugely isolating and difficult time. It can also be very stressful, so I wanted to create a place where mothers and fathers can take some time to relax, enjoy food and drink, while their kids play.”
The funding has been used to purchase the new soft-play equipment, where kids as young as two can use a slide, ball pit and swings.
Lesley continued; “We are so fortunate that UKSE has given us this money because the soft play equipment is a huge part of our start-up cost. Our busy Larkhall café has grown into a place where all families can meet new people. We regularly welcome groups of grandparents and childminders, as well parents with young children, and we have the same aspirations for Hamilton.”