Bristol women raise more than £70k through community cafe

The team from the Barton Hill Rugby Football Club Charity Cafe at the BBC Radio Bristol Make A Difference Awards in October

Two women have raised more than £70,000 for charity through a community cafe.

Mandy Bryant and Elizabeth Harris, who have been best friends since they were aged 12, run the Barton Hill Rugby Club Charity Cafe in Speedwell, Bristol.

All proceeds from the cafe are donated to the mental health charity Mind, or to equipment for children with physical disabilities.

Ms Harris said: "They say doing good for people makes you feel good and it genuinely does."

The pair fundraise alongside a team of fellow volunteers twice a week.

They opened the cafe in February 2020 and continued to help the community where possible after they were forced to close for the Covid-19 lockdown a month later.

'Someone to talk to'

Throughout the "very difficult" time, they offered video calls and newsletters to maintain connections with people.

Ms Bryant said: "We already had established basic relationships with a lot of the people that came.

"Everybody could have someone to talk to if they wanted to."

In October, they won the Community Group Award at BBC's Radio Bristol's Make A Difference (MAD) Awards, which honours those that go above and beyond for others in their area.

Ms Harris said: "I think [the community] felt pleased because when they come and spend their hard earned cash they can see that it's recognised and being used for good."

Through their fundraising, they have helped 17 patients at Bristol Children's Hospital and paid for a specialist chair.

Now, they are aiming to raise enough money to install a defibrillator and bleed kits in the local area.