At Graylingwell the little gem known as “The Lodge” was placed near the Chapel over two years ago to provide a temporary community building while awaiting the Chapel and other buildings to come on stream. This little building is very popular and extremely well used. One of the regular uses is the Saturday Cafe. This takes place each week for most of the year and has proved very popular with the local community. Each week a different organisation hosts the cafe. The CCDT hosts the second and fourth Saturdays and the GPRA hosts the third Saturday. Until recently, the Immanuel Church hosted the first Saturday but they have now moved to other premises for their worship, so we now have a vacant slot. Any ideas would be welcomed.
Each week the host group, aided by volunteers, bring along home made cakes and provide tea and coffee for visitors to enjoy. No-one knows what cakes are on offer until they arrive so it’s always an attraction. Sometimes visitors may only number half a dozen but it has become an important date in residents’ calendar. There are people for whom a visit has become vital as it gives them an opportunity to get out and about and interact with other residents, particularly if they live alone or are not particularly mobile. All sorts of subjects are discussed and in the case of the GPRA residents can discuss any issues or problems they may have with their home and/or services. With the CCDT it is a great opportunity to spread the word about upcoming events and the work of the Trust.
Occasionally, the Saturday Cafe Extra takes place. This is when five Saturdays occur in a calendar month so a special event will be organised. This is often a talk given by a local resident (either from Graylingwell or from a wider area around Chichester). We have had talks about Diaghilev, music, show business, mothtrap results and even a dress rehearsal for a local community play! The next Cafe Extra happens to be on the 30th when the annual fund raising cafe takes place for Macmillan Cancer Care. This has proved to be very successful with a variety of cakes and treats for sale and a raffle and is usually well attended. So, come along, swell the numbers and meet some interesting people.
By Coral Botteley
