THE PEOPLE of Reading can enjoy a new cafe-with-a-cause following its official opening on Wednesday, March 22.
More than 50 guests, including local councillors and the Mayor of Reading, Cllr Rachel Eden, attended Barista and Beyond’s grand opening. The Alfred Street cafe provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The Mayor was joined by Jonathan Holley, managing director of Ways into Work, who delivered the project, and Andrea Wood, director of New Directions College, who gave short speeches.
Cllr Eden said: “It’s fantastic to see the beautiful facilities, the amazing cake and food, but also knowing that when you’re enjoying your coffee that you’re going to be helping people get the opportunities they deserve.
“People with learning disabilities or mental health issues have so much to offer, and giving people the opportunity to get into real employment is what this is all about.
“It’s a wonderful chance for people to come and feel that they are changing the world one cup of coffee at a time.”
Alongside the cafe’s quality tea and coffee options, visitors can also indulge themselves in its selection of treats and sandwiches.
The space is kitted out with wifi, making it suitable for those who wish to catch up with emails or sneak in a few hours of work. A meeting room is also available to hire for £20 per hour, with any items bought on the day deducted from this fee.
Mr Holley was full of praise for the project, and hopes the cafe will be an example to the hospitality industry.
He said: “We believe this is a positive and ethical model for future business – a social enterprise that not only provides a creative recruitment solution for the often-understaffed hospitality industry, but also to tap into underserved and motivated individuals resulting in a more diverse workforce that better represents the communities in which we live.
“Business can, and should, do its part in helping to change our society to be a better place and can do this one life at a time in the inclusive and valued employment that it can provide”.
Mr Holley also thanked the various businesses and individuals who helped make the cafe possible, including: John Lewis, Simply Coffee Shops, Thames Valley and Berkshire LEP, Taylor Wessing, videographer Marco Bastidas, the Berkeley Foundation and the Shanley Foundation.
Ways into Work is a not-for-profit organisation which delivers supported employment services across Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.
One of its beneficiaries is Charlie Duffy, who has secured a job at Barista and Beyond and described the cafe’s opening as “amazing”.
He said: “No matter what you have or how you feel, it’s giving you that opportunity to show that – yes, you may have a disability or something, like me – but it’s showing that no matter what, you have an opportunity and you’ve just got to be ready to take it.
“Every single person in this world deserves a chance to show how good they can be.”
Fellow employee Charles McCarthy added: “It’s not fun being unemployed for a long time – I’ve been unemployed for 10 years. It’s a really big deal to get a job after so long. This opportunity changes lives.”
New Directions College, Reading, provides a 10-week training program in hospitality skills, including barista training, customer service, basic food preparation, food hygiene and IT skills to empower learners in their roles at the cafe.
Instructor Ms Rubaiyat Mehjabeen attended the event with the college’s director and was full of praise for her students’ progress. She said: “It’s amazing, I’ve seen them become more confident and feel more settled in practical situations. They’ve done so well – it’s a very proud moment for me as a teacher.
