Ipswich churches get a Taste for community

By Philippa Kerr

 

 

Taste is an initiative of several partnering churches in the area and draws volunteers from many churches, including St John’s, St Andrew’s, St Matthew’s (all Anglican), Colchester Road and Cauldwell Hall Rd Baptists, Rushmere Christian Fellowship, St John’s URC, Holy Family RC church in Kesgrave, St Pancras RC, and The Salvation Army in Woodbridge Rd.

 

The 20 seats were all occupied when I visited and the flow kept coming, causing willing ‘shuffling up’ and talk of extra stools needed. I’m sure it’s not always so full but Trevor said they would very much like to extend their opening hours - though of course ‘it all depends on the volunteers’ (reader please note!)

 

The café offers cold, and the usual hot drinks, to high quality. The coffee (not regulation church instant) is exceptional and would give a nameless American chain a run for its money and the hot chocolate comes with marshmallows! There’s soup-and-a-roll at lunchtime and scones and cakes – so plenty of good stuff to keep the wolf from the door. In the interests of good neighbourliness, the yummy scones etc. come from the bakery next door and so friendship instead of a competitive spirit is enjoyed by all. An unobtrusive screen runs details of ‘what’s on’ in the local churches.

 

Visitors to Taste come from all the corners of the country apparently - a surprise visitor from Cumbria arriving to pick up his new car from the local garage; a couple from Somerset (visiting relatives) cruising looking for a café in this part of town. Trevor said that he was glad their fame was obviously spreading!

 

One lady was in need of a friendly smile and word; her husband had just been taken to hospital following a heart-attack. A ‘wandering’, confused woman was brought in (for safety) until her husband could be phoned; what a lovely compliment to the café. Visitors to the Residential Home on the corner drop in as do people waiting for their prescriptions to be prepared in the chemist’s next door.

 

Local children from St John’s primary and St Albans visit after school – last term’s ‘year- sixes’ reunited with their friends. Others enjoy a hot choc with their parents ‘between school and dance-class’, making a ‘dead’ half hour a pleasurable time. Ruth was telling me that a couple of residents from Crabbe St Home had come in with their carers, and teenagers from ‘the special school’ on Spring Rd had been brought by staff ‘and were beautifully behaved’.

 

The word ‘community’, much used and abused, begins to make sense and have value in this context.

 

Inspired? I was.

 

Ruth and Trevor would love you to drop in and say ‘hello’. They would love it if you would pray for the on-going work and ‘please, that we might not lose sight of the vision’ (Ruth). 

 

(I’m going to start a new paragraph for this because it’s important)…..

 

 THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS! (Those there seemed to be enjoying themselves!). For a sustainable, thriving project, on-going funds will also be necessary.

 

TASTE……..Community café

At

426 Woodbridge Road Ipswich

Opening Hours

Monday                               9.00-12.00

Tuesday                               9.00-16.00

Wednesday                        9.00-12.00

Thursday                             9.00-12.00

Friday                                   9. 00-16.00

Saturday                              10.00-16.00