Grant allows cafe to upgrade facilities for being more inclusive

We Are Zest, the social enterprise cafe based in St Andrews, has been supporting customers and staff members with various disabilities and mental health issues for almost 13 years.

Now, as it prepares to open its doors once more, the cafe has undergone a change that could help improve the customer experience for good.

Owner Lisa Cathro recently made the changes to the cafe, after it became clear that her space hadn’t always been the friendliest for people with mobility issues.

She said: “We’ve always had good access for wheelchair users and a lot of our customers have disabilities because we’re kind of like a ‘safe space’ so it’s a nice and easy place for them to come.

“The whole front of the shop opens out on to the street so it’s very easy to access but I was always very keenly aware that the bathroom doors are quite heavy. So if you’re an elderly customer and you’re not very strong, or you have buggies and children, or you’re in a wheelchair, it’s actually quite difficult.”

Through Fife Council’s Town Centre Improvement Fund, Lisa was able to obtain a £10,000 grant that has helped make the cafe a lot more inclusive.

“I’ve never been able to afford to make it automated because it costs so much money to put in the electronic push pad doors,” said Lisa.

“We’re a social enterprise so most of our money goes back into training and helping people with disabilities. But then Fife Council had this Town Centre Improvement Fund which is tied with Covid – businesses can alter their business and access new markets. We managed to get a £10,000 grant through the fund and that’s been amazing.”

CHANGES: We Are Zest owner Lisa Cathro, right.