BFB Hive has landed! In December, Bassetlaw Food Bank (BFB) launched its latest project – a community café and kitchen featuring a community room for lunch club sessions and community groups, office space for partner agencies to engage with service users, and a laundrette.
The café is open to all! BFB has developed an affordable menu and offers a ‘pay it forward’ system. Partner agencies can make referrals, or staff can make discretionary decisions to ensure everyone can enjoy the café’s tasty offerings.
The menu includes delicious staples such as jacket potatoes, paninis, and full English breakfasts, alongside a rotating selection of hot main meals and sweet treats. Visitors can drop by for breakfast, lunch, or tea and cake, knowing they are supporting a local charity and the people in their area.
In time, BFB plans to expand the popular lunch club to host multiple sessions weekly in a private yet spacious room adjoining the café. Themed sessions will also be introduced, catering to specific groups such as parents and babies, individuals facing debt or budgeting challenges, and those seeking addiction support.
The office space enables BFB to adopt a collaborative approach to tackling the factors contributing to food insecurity in Bassetlaw. By working with partner agencies such as Citizens Advice, BFB aims to address the root causes of prolonged reliance on emergency food parcels.
Additionally, the project provides a community laundrette offering low-cost services and inclusion in the ‘pay it forward’ scheme. This initiative helps mitigate the impact of energy poverty and issues like damp in homes, which can lead to health and financial challenges. The laundrette can be booked via the BFB website.
BFB Hive represents an opportunity to work closely with service users and local organisations, bridging the support gap and addressing the causes of food insecurity. This space allows for comprehensive wraparound support for the Bassetlaw community.
The launch event was a fantastic occasion to showcase the project to partner organisations and express gratitude to everyone who made it possible!
Following the excitement of the launch and the first week of opening, the café officially opened its doors on Tuesday 7th January, operating from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
For more details about BFB Hive, opening times, or using the space, visit www.bassetlawfoodbank.org/bfbhive or pop in to BFB Hive, Community Way, off Shrewsbury Road, Worksop S80 2TU.