About Us

Back Story

The SMILE Cafe was set up on October 4th, 2012, by the, PASTEL Community Interest Company, with support from The Rotary Club of Saxmundham & District. It was sponsored by both organisations and became self-sustaining within the first year.

The SMILE Cafe was managed by PASTEL for the first two and a half years, from October 2012 to April 2015, when the roles were reversed and the management was handed over to the Rotary Club, with PASTEL in support.

Sadly in July 2022, both PASTEL CIC and the local Saxmundham Rotary club were formally dissolved - PASTEL CIC as a result of the forced 2-year Covid19 close down, and the local Rotary club because of declining and aging membership.

However, some ex-volunteers - from both PASTEL and the local Rotary club - decided to carry on as the 'SMILE Community Cafe' - as an independent social enterprise in its own right.

All the SMILE Community Cafe team are volunteers.

And we would like to offer thanks to fellow volunteers:

Joe Hopkins for creating our new website.
Adam Tricker for creating our new logo
Stevie Price for the website photos
and ongoing support from Rotary in East Anglia.

l-r: Mike, Tom and Brian with training certificates, presented by County Councillor, Richard Smith

And, Joint Volunteer Managers, Don Tricker (ex-PASTEL CIC Volunteer Director) & Graham Ward (Ex-Chairman, Saxmundham Rotary Club)

Volunteers

Help fellow residents - We need more volunteers to join the team!

We need extra hands for serving drinks and cakes / help clearing tables / supporting the cook...

Simple but extremely important!

Have you got 2 or 3 hours on a Wednesday, between 11am and 2pm?

Please pop in, on a Wednesday, see the set-up and talk to us - we don't bite😊 - to find out more and see if it's for you!🤔

Whatever your age, or ability, get a sense of personal achievement and satisfaction by becoming a SMILE Cafe volunteer!

Do you want to feel good about helping others, as well as meet new people and make new friends, add to your social life, learn new skills, create a useful addition to your CV and have fun? Then why not ask about becoming a SMILE Cafe volunteer, whether on the management or operations side, or both!

We provide induction, and further training for those interested.

If you're unemployed, volunteering with the SMILE Cafe could help you into work by building your skills and confidence. It could be the vital stepping stone you need to move into employment. As a volunteer with the SMILE Cafe you could even gain a national training accreditation to add to your CV In particular:

•• learn new skills •• practise the skills you have •• become more confident •• put some volunteering experience on your CV •• pick up good ideas from other people •• show employers you can keep regular hours and handle commitment •• meet people who can help you find paid work •• have things to talk about in a job interview,and •• get references.

However, we 're always interested to talk to anyone with experience in project management, administrative work, finance, fundraising, PR & media or teaching/training as well as general SMILE Cafe support activities.

We provide individual training to a dedicated team of volunteers. The volunteers particpate in catering and related accredited and informal training which is organised according to their aspirations, personal needs and abilities. The Cafe Training Project provides a cafe facility for all the local community, including those with special needs.

Please use the contact information below to enquire about joining the volunteer team.

2024

Restaurant Guru

© SMILE Community Cafe

The SMILE Cafe
The Fromus Centre
Street Farm Road
Saxmundham IP17 1AL

Email:dontricker4@gmail.com