Sally Army cafe in plea for volunteers to keep it open

The important community facility has two part-time staff, plus volunteers to ensure it all runs smoothly.

But last weekend the cafe had to close due to staff shortages.

One member of staff is off sick, while the other part-time post is vacant, and there were not enough volunteers to cover the Saturday morning shortfall.

Community centre manager Sue Le Poidevin has been working with the single remaining member of staff to get the cafe open on Saturdays, but could not do it alone.

‘I was upset to have to close,’ she said.

‘But we did not have another option.’

The cafe on the Bridge can open with two staff, but only for basic food and drinks, which are prepared in the upstairs kitchen. A third person needs to be working for the main downstairs kitchen to open. The shortage of staff means that the cafe has struggled to open the downstairs kitchen, meaning regulars have been having to do without dishes such as ham, egg and chips, which is a firm favourite of regulars.

The cafe has a team of eight volunteers, who work shifts of between two and four hours. These have to slot into the cafe’s day – which is open all day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as on Thursday and Saturday mornings.

Mrs Le Poidevin said the centre provided a really important service.

‘People come in for a drink with their friends,’ she said.

‘Sometimes they just want to come in to talk to someone, to have someone to talk to, otherwise their days are very lonely.

‘I feel it is important to have somewhere like this to relax. It also means they can come here without being bothered by anybody.’

The cafe and the charity shop are both housed in the centre and the shop has managed to stay open. However, when the cafe is closed, fewer people are drawn to the centre so the shop is much quieter.

Mrs Le Poidevin said they were really keen for more volunteers, as well as a new part-time employee who would be able to cover 27.5 hours a week. She added that it had been hard to find someone to fill the post.

n Anyone able to help is asked to call the centre on 200216 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.