Sorrel Youth Cafe to close next year
THE much-respected Sorrel Youth Cafe is to close in the spring of next year.
The café, in Mountsorrel, has been providing vital local youth services since 2010.
John Doyle, chairman of trustees for the initiative has announced: “It is with great regret I announce that Sorrel Youth Cafe will close in the spring of 2020 and the Sorrel Youth Café Charity and Company will subsequently be dissolved.
“This decision coincides with the end of the site lease, but more importantly is the result of over two years of discussion and organisational forward planning.
“At the outset the trustees would like to make it clear that closure is not due to any lack of support from the charity’s two key local funding providers, Mountsorrel Parish Council and the Mountsorrel United Charities – Relief in Need Fund, nor indeed is it due to any lack of willingness by our landlord to explore a future lease.
“Similarly secondary funding sources are equally supportive of the work of the cafe.
“There are a number of contributory factors that influenced the trustees’ decision.
“Positively the charity has met its objectives over its 10 year operation. The identified needs that contributed to its establishment in 2010 have changed and externally the village no longer is seen as a ‘priority area’ for resources.
“This, alongside a general decline in the availability of funding for ‘open youth work’ means that the charity will continue to struggle to identify and secure funding to meet its core charitable objectives.
“After significant research and discussion with young people, the trustees have concluded that the ‘Café environment’ is no longer the best way to serve their current needs.
“In recognising this, the charity commenced the delivery of outreach youth work through the provision of a Youth Worker meeting with young people “on their own turf”.
“This has proved successful and alongside the evidence collected from our research, suggests that the methodology for the delivery of local youth work needs to change.
“Current use of the café building does not justify the cost and commitment to another long term lease.”
Mr Doyle added that the trustees had explored the possibility of changing the status of the charity, into that of a community business, but although there was the possibility of initial funding, they decided not to go ahead, due to the timescale and resources needed.
He added that the cafe had achieved a tremendous amount over the last nine years: “Through the hard work and commitment of our staff and volunteers, the charity has achieved with many of the original drivers, most notably youth antisocial behaviour, having quantifiably decreased.
“There is acknowledgment that the work has helped a significant number of individual young people to change their life path for the better and provided many more with a safe and supportive environment.
“The café has been a place for young people to socialise, gain support and be educated.”
“Other strands of youth related work have been and are still successfully being undertaken, most notably in the provision of: The Young Carers Group, Homework Downtime Group, Sorrel Tots.
“The trustees are most anxious that these groups continue despite the closure of the cafe and are making proposals to the parish council in their regard.”
Mr Doyle also added: “We have another important strand of work, the provision of a daytime Community Cafe.
“This was started as a funding resource to bolster youth work costs but has developed a life of its own and surfaced areas of need within our community that had not previously been met.
“In addition to providing a cafe where low cost, nutritious food could be obtained in a community environment, the day-time cafe provided a meeting place for myriad groups. We are also discussing future options for the continuation of this community provision.
“We are keen to ensure that the work across both strands of the charity’s work is continued. We know that the need is there and hope that the village will come together to consider ways that such needs can continue to be met.
“This said, the trustees feel that, although sad, our decision to dissolve the charity is the right one.
“We plan to close our youth work and community cafe provision shortly before the end of lease date, 25th March, 2020.
“As chairman I wish to thank all those who have supported the endeavour in any way whatsoever and particularly wish to thank my fellow trustees both current and past, our youth officer, our Community Cafe supervisor and especially, our volunteers and staff without whose communal efforts nothing would have been achieved.”