A CAFE “at the heart of the community” has celebrated its seventh anniversary by enjoying a slice of cake with the mayor. Cafe in the Park, at Beggarwood Community Centre, has been going strong since its inception in 2018.
Seven years later, the cafe celebrated its birthday on Wednesday, February 19, with a visit from the Mayor of Basingstoke, Cllr Dan Putty, who cut a cake to mark the occasion.
“We are delighted to have been here for seven years,” said community ambassador, Annie Mealey.
“We’re a community cafe and we rely on customers, so it’s lovely to have their support. We enjoyed marking the occassion with Mr Mayor and giving out free cake to pour customers.”
Annie has been involved with the cafe from the beginning, initially as a trustee but has since become the community ambassador, organising projects to engage locals.
One such project is the ‘Chatter & Natter’ table, part of the Chatty Cafe Scheme which aims to reduce loneliness by encouraging people to talk to each other.
The scheme was created by Alexandra Hoskyn, who got the idea after a day at a supermarket café with her infant son where she noticed that no one was talking to each other.
She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter & Natter’ signs on tables in cafés, it created a space for people to talk.
Cafe in the Park also hosts childrens events, including decorating ‘Basingstones’ to hide in Beggarwood Park.
This, along with two book clubs, baby groups and even a litter pick, means there is “lots going on in the community,” said Annie.
She added: “We are delighted to have been at the heart of the community for seven years and if you haven’t been, please visit our Chatter & Natter table and enjoy some of Sophie’s delicious cakes.”
