News / community
New community centre cafe completed
A new cafe has been built at The Vench community centre and adventure playground in Lockleaze.
The Vench Corner Cafe, built sustainably using converted shipping containers, will aim to support the centre’s wider community programmes and initiatives.
The Vench playground has been running in Lockleaze for more than 50 years, hosting events and drop-in sessions to encourage learning through play and collaboration.
The adventure playground has been running in Lockleaze for more than 50 years – photo: Susie Long
Alongside serving the public, the new cafe space will act as a teaching tool, allowing the team to develop skills in hospitality, catering and customer service in the local community.
The project was initially funded by Bristol City Council, supplying Community Resilience funding to support the ‘innovative design and social impact focus’.
The Vench Corner Cafe also received funding and support from Avison Young, a commercial real estate advisor who offered their services on a pro-bono basis.
The cafe is already open, but is set to have an ‘official opening’ where the team will launch their volunteering and training schemes.
The cafe has been constructed out of shipping containers – photo: Avison Young
Iulia Manolescu, the centre manager at The Vench, said: “We’re incredibly excited about the new café – not just because it’s a beautiful and welcoming space, but because of what it represents.
“It will help us generate vital income to support our programmes and allow us to invite the community in and offer training and work experience to local people.”
Jon Nicholls, the project manager at Avison Young, added: “This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when local companies provide professional expertise to meet community needs.
The cafe will help local people to develop skills in hospitality and customer service – photo: Avison Young
“Transforming shipping containers into a fully functional café was a rewarding challenge, and we’re proud to have helped create a space that will not only bring people together but also open doors to new opportunities.
“The Vench team’s commitment to Lockleaze is inspiring, and we’re thrilled to have played a part in their journey.”
The team hope that the cafe will become a “cornerstone of Lockleaze community life.”
Manolescu said: “This is a big step forward for The Vench and for Lockleaze, and we’re so grateful to everyone who made it happen.”
Main photo: Avison Young
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
