Bridgwater café receives £5,000 to help with cost of living

In partnership with Somerset Council and NHS Somerset, the foundation has awarded a total of £350,000 of grants to date - in response to the cost-of-living crisis, connecting other trusts, businesses, and people.

The Community Café at the Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater has been awarded £5,016 by the Somerset Community Foundation.

The money is set to go towards general running costs at the café, where rising costs have made it harder to provide the essential space for locals to enjoy a bite to eat with some company.

Manager of the café, Laura Fowler, said: “The cost of food has risen resulting in reducing the profit margins from the café which is one of our main income generators.

“As a community centre in a deprived area of Bridgwater we do not wish to pass these costs on to the community, many of whom are already struggling in the cost-of-living crisis.”

Andy Ridgewell, Programmes Director at Somerset Community Foundation said: “These grants have been made possible thanks to the generous funding received from Somerset Council and NHS Somerset.

"And because we know this winter will be another difficult one for many people, we’re offering funding to groups running Warm Spaces once again, too.”