Projects

Sam’s Cafe

Completed: 2024
Location: Lowestoft, Norfolk
Region: East of England
Other local partners: Suffolk Community Foundation, Suffolk Police Crime Commissioner Fund, Dulux

About the project

Sam’s Cafe is a wellbeing hub and cafe for vulnerable people in the Lowestoft community; supported by offender charities to help ex-offenders integrate within the community and help with their transition. It is a space for people to meet and chat with other members of this friendly community.

VIY have helped to make the space and environment at Sam’s Cafe more efficient, welcoming and pleasant to the customers and service users supported by the initiative, by replacing and reformatting worktop space, replacing kitchen units and tiling in the cafe area, plus redecorating externally and internally. The adjustment to the layout has allowed for a greater capacity for higher customer numbers at any one time and to support a greater number of people through their wellbeing services.

The VIY project has also been a great success for local young people, those involved in or at risk of crime, to improve this important community hub which itself works to tackle drivers of deprivation including education, skills, training, employment and health/wellbeing, whilst providing access to skills training and boosting their work-readiness.

The young people: 21 local young people including Suffolk Youth Justice team, Suffolk Council Children & Families team, Access Community Trust, Lapwing (Alternative Provision, Ipswich), East Point Academy, Sunrise Academy, Inspire Suffolk

Impact

  • 100% NEET or at risk of disengagement/involvement with crime volunteering on the VIY project and completing skills training
  • 17 learners achieved an accreditation in either Painting & Decorating or Health & Safety
  • 2 learners have already progressed – one into a Supported Internship with Ixion & one has changed onto a construction-related Level 1 college course due to his experience with VIY (see more detail below)
  • 9/21 learners have opted into VIY progressions support

Lauren Goulder, Skills & Employment Lead, Access Community Trust:

“We can’t thank you and the team enough for this! It looks fantastic and the whole company is over the moon with it, what a difference this has made 😊!

In reflection of the programme, it was very beneficial, one of our internal young people is actually now changing college courses after his experience as he enjoyed this so much! Also many more who were wanting to come back for more than 3 days which we take as a positive and that schemes like this really make a difference. The café now looks a new venue, and everything has been done to perfection.

Big shout out to Dom, Sue and David for their operation and extreme hard work throughout, they managed everything as best as possible and always had a smile on their faces for the young people.”

Lapwing, Alternative Provision, Ipswich: Lewis actually starts on a Supported Internship tomorrow. The experience you were able to give him was invaluable and provided the perfect springboard into that.”

 

See more on this project featured in the Lowestoft Journal here