Readers will recall that our church carried out an extensive survey of our neighbourhood in 2003 to try to identify resident's views on facilities and services that, if available, would improve the quality of their lives. The clearest outcome of this survey was that many people stated a desire to have an easily accessible place in our neighbourhood where they could "drop in" for rest, refreshment or simply to meet other people.
The survey did not tell us how many people would actually use such a facility were it to be available. However we felt that this information could be obtained by running a pilot scheme.
So, on Monday 28 June 2004, a Pilot Project began. We started out opening for two hours on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. In September, we added Wednesday afternoons so as to welcome the young mothers and their toddlers who take their older children to the ballet classes held in our hall, and then have to wait until they can be collected again. At the start, just to get things going, we delivered 120 leaflets to some houses around the immediate vicinity of the church. These leaflets only mentioned the Tuesday and Thursday openings. Once we have decided on the optimum longer-term opening plan, we will deliver leaflets to about 400 houses. In the meantime, news about the Coffee Lounge is spreading by word of mouth only. By 14th October, the analysis of total of all visitors, including repeat visits by individuals is:
- Number of openings 35
- Total number of visitors: 320 (including repeat visits)
- Members of our congregation 153 (including repeat visits)
- Non members (adults) 42 (including repeat visits)
- Young Mothers (all non members) 73 (including repeat visits)
- Toddlers and young children 52 (including repeat visits)
- Percentage of non-members 52% (including repeat visits)
Up to the above date, the maximum number of visitors welcomed on one opening was 28 on a Wednesday. They were a happy mixture of old, young and very young.
We have received many unsolicited expressions of appreciation of this initiative from our visitors, and one non-member visitor has joined the team of volunteers. We feel encouraged by the response thus far. We are still gathering information and seeking feedback from visitors to enable us to settle on the most effective weekly opening times. There is a clear difference between the activity during school term-time and during holiday periods, and there may also be seasonal variations.
On the present trends it seems probable that non-members may well become the majority of users of the coffee lounge. They already represent 52%. This positive trend would be speeded up if more members felt able to help to spread the word and build bridges with the members of our neighbourhood community simply by coming along, perhaps inviting friends to join them, and then meet with other people in a relaxed atmosphere.
We now have 12 volunteers, including one who is not a member of our congregation. We would like eventually to have sufficient volunteers to enable us to open both on mornings and afternoons from Tuesdays to Thursdays. The task is not onerous, you meet interesting people from many and varied backgrounds, and you really feel that you are doing something that fulfils a genuine community need. Should you be interested in volunteering, please phone Colin or Eilidh on 822724 for a chat. Full training is provided!
We maintain detailed financial accounts on the Project. The Coffee Lounge is paying its way and will be able to make a fair contribution to the church to cover the incremental cost incurred for heating, lighting and cleaning whenever the Coffee Lounge is operating.
We are learning a great deal about our neighbourhood from the coffee lounge pilot project. Our neighbourhood survey suggested that there was a very significant need in our area for a place where people could drop in to meet, find companionship, rest and relaxation, find shelter, obtain refreshment or just be at peace. However the survey could not tell us which people would use the facility, nor when and how often. Our experience so far confirms the findings of the survey, in that people who are looking for these things are visiting the coffee lounge. Over time, a picture of usage is building up. We are learning that in order to use our volunteers' time effectively, the actual opening days and times have to be chosen quite carefully, so as to match the daily rhythms of the folk who live in our neighbourhood community. Currently we open 2 - 4 pm Tuesdays, 3 - 5 pm Wednesdays and 10.30am - 12.30 pm Thursdays.
We are still experimenting with days and times for opening the coffee lounge.
We know, for instance, that at certain times there may be low activity along Broadway. However, this is deceptive because we then might find that small groups of friends come to meet in the coffee lounge for a long chat, or a young mother with her very small baby drops in for a bit of company. At very specific times, quite large numbers of parents and small children come in looking for refreshment and rest. When the weather is good, the children play on the grass outside the front doors. The situation is then reversed when the weather is cold and wet. Then the children come inside and have a great time playing with toys that we are providing for this purpose. It is really wonderful to see such a bustle of happy young activity going on in our church, such that at times three volunteers are needed to cope with the demand. Should volunteer numbers permit, we would probably like to settle on openings on Tuesday afternoons, and on the mornings and afternoons of Wednesdays and Thursdays. Once we have come to a firm decision on this important matter, we will then begin to publicise our activities by letterbox drop and posters.
Mostly, we provide very good fresh filter coffee, but also tea and hot chocolate. Children are offered various colours of sugar-free fruit drinks. Biscuits and Jaffa cakes are provided free. No prizes for guessing which are most popular!
During the pre-Christmas openings on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th December, we will be providing mince pies and other goodies. Staff might even wear red Santa hats and flashing earrings! Why not come along and join in the fun!
On the morning of Thursday 16th December, the Broadway Nursery children, who meet in our hall every school day, will be holding their little Christmas concert in our church for mums and dads and any other supporters, starting about 10am. Because of this, the normal coffee lounge will not operate on that morning, but some volunteers will be around to provide coffee once the concert is finished. Do come along and support the Nursery. It does a great job and is very popular in the neighbourhood..
Colin and Eilidh Scott, on behalf of the Pilot Coffee Lounge Project Volunteers.
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