Coventry charity café to stay open in new premises

Coffee Tots will be moving from the City Arcade to vacant space at The Wave

A community café is set to move to new premises after fears it would have to close due to redevelopment.

Coffee Tots, which provides parenting support to families, will be moving to The Wave, a waterpark in Coventry.

The café is currently based at the City Arcade, which is set to be demolished under a £450m City Centre South redevelopment project.

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said it had worked closely with traders affected by the scheme.

The cafe helps about 200 struggling families a week and had previously been awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

A crowd funder to help the charity move to the Wave raised over £8,000, helping to cover most moving costs.

The new premises, set to open on 24 April, will be open Monday to Friday during term time.

Kath Healion, operations manager at CV Life, which runs The Wave in Union Street, said the café had been providing a "vital service" to parents in the city.

"To see them threatened with closure due to their current property lease coming to an end was such a shame," she said.

"Thankfully at The Wave we have facilities which will be ideal for the requirements of the group. " 

A number of shops in City Arcade are shuttered ahead of the redevelopment

A spokesperson for the city council added that it would work with anyone who needed further support due to the redevelopment.