New cafe in the Old Fire Station (From Northwich Guardian)

New cafe in Northwich's Old Fire Station, in Chesterway

8:30am Monday 23rd January 2012 in News

COLLEGE and community have worked together to provide a bright new cafe for Northwich.

Staff and service users have opened a Community Cafe at the Old Fire Station, in Chesterway, and Mid Cheshire College students are displaying their work at the new venue.

The cafe will be open from 10.30am to 2pm on Mondays and Tuesdays serving hot and cold drinks, toast and jam, homemade soup and cakes.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about local groups like the Voluntary Action Group, Cheshire Link, and local colleges from the cafe’s new information board.

Jo Silva, service supervisor at the Old Fire Station, said: “A group of our service users have been studying for an NVQ in Food and so the Community Cafe is an ideal way of showing off their new skills.”

Clr Brenda Dowding, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s executive member for adult social care and health, said: “I’m delighted that the new cafe will not only provide a wonderful resource for the community but also training opportunities for service users at the Old Fire Station.”

The photographic exhibition, entitled ‘Not New York, Northwich’, is a collection of photographs showing different places in Northwich in an artistic fashion, captured from perspectives people may not have noticed before.

There are also profile shots that students took at the college’s London Road Studio, which will be closing its doors this summer when the photography course relocates to the college’s Hartford campus.

Kirsty Harrop, service supervisor at the Old Fire Station, said: “We contacted the college to try and get some artwork to brighten up the walls as they were just plain white.

”We’re really happy with the results and hope to work with the college again in the future.”

Tutor Mark Reeves said: “It’s great to get the students integrated within the local community and build up contacts.

“Hopefully this may leads to more projects in the future.”