Free welcome cafe opens to help community connect

Alison Durrant said Highworth has "a good community" which works together

A free cafe has been set up in a town to help prevent loneliness by encouraging people to connect with others.

The monthly Warm and Welcome Wednesday Cafe in Highworth, Wiltshire, has been set up by the volunteers behind Highworth Community Larder, which redistributes food that would otherwise have been thrown away.

The cafe is available on the third Wednesday of the month at the Council Rooms on Gilberts Lane, offering company and a free drink and cake between 09:30 - 11:00 BST. Highworth Town Council is providing the room for free.

Alison Durrant, one of the volunteers involved, explained that the cafe is also able to offer resources and advice to help with issues such as finances.

"We're [the community larder] now a charity. It's the relief and prevention of poverty in Highworth. We are a good community and we work together," added Ms Durrant.

The Warm and Welcome Wednesday Cafe will be held once a month

The community larder was launched several years ago when volunteers found there was plenty of surplus produce from local allotments that could be donated to those in need.

The group signed up to the national networks for similar projects, such as the Community Fridge Network, and the local primary school offered space for the food from allotments and local supermarkets.

Ms Durrant said they started with about 30 visitors and now have close to 100 every week.