2024 events
In the record-breaking, and award-winning, 2024, we repeated all the events of 2023 (bar the Kings Coronation celebration) and on our 12th Anniversary, our Oktoberfest celebration broke all previous cafe records! 🥳
Latest news
For the very latest information and news, please check our new Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/422101183471242
If you live in and around Sax, why not join our private group on Facebook - simply click on the link above and request membership.👍😎
First and foremost the SMILE Cafe is a local pop-up community cafe. We aim to be fully inclusive to encourage and support everyone, including those with various physical and mental disabilities and their family carers, where applicable. The Cafe is housed in a very modern building, with ample on-site parking with wheelchair-friendly access and a disability toilet / baby changing facilities. In addition, we have purchased a special adaptable baby / toddler high chair and special disability cutlery for those with frail fingers / hands.The menu includes a number of hot and cold snacks and meals, at very affordable prices - for those seeking inexpensive meals, within a warm, welcoming and unhurried social cafe. The whole social enterprise is managed and run by volunteers, including those with mild learning disabilities and mental health issues. The cafe is self-sustaining, but we do seek minor grants to provide occasional special free events / free live entertainment - for all ages.
All 2023 special free events and live entertainment were kindly sponsored by Saxmundham Town Council
Christmas Celebration (December, 2023)
The last busy trading day of the year featured a Christmas celebration with non-alcoholic sparkling wine, free luxury mince pies or pigs in blankets, with a free tea or instant coffee (other coffees were available) - and live Christmas carols and songs from the ten-strong Uke-n-Smile ukulele band, providing a great atmosphere and lots of sing-along tunes!
OktoberFest (October, 2023)
Today's special Oktoberfest menu of German food and non-alcoholic German beer was a popular, but muted, success - no raucous singing, no stamping of feet or wild dancing - but the food and drink slowly all disappeared... 👍
One customer turned up in his gardening clothes - trying to pass off his outfit as traditional German apparel! 🤠
County Councillor, Richard Smith dropped in to sample the special offering and wish us well.
Summer Show (August, 2023)
Over 80 people - babies, toddlers, youngsters, their parents and grandparents - streamed in and out of the SMILE Community Cafe all day - to enjoy the free entertainment! There were morning and afternoon Punch and Judy shows and, in support, there was face-painting (sponsored by Christies Care), as well as live music from a female singer and her guitar.
There was a wonderful laid-back atmosphere - despite all the shouting, screaming and laughing during the very interactive Punch & Judy show - and that was just from the adults reliving their childhoods!😅
King Charles III Coronation Celebration (April, 2023)
In a full house, we toasted our new king, with glasses of non-alcohol sparkling wine. To add to the atmosphere, we arranged for some live music and an amazing professional magician - moving amongst the tables performing some truly amazing close up magic!
10th Anniversary Celebration
On Wednesday Nov.9th - to celebrate 10 years of operations - the SMILE Community Cafe threw open its doors to offer customers free coffee / cake / tea / biscuits and live music, provided by the Uke-n-Smile group.
"The day was a big success. We were swept off our feet by the response, which also included a visit by BBC Radio Suffolk to conduct two live broadcast interviews with the volunteer staff!" - Don Tricker, Volunteer Joint Manager.
Founding volunteer Don welcomed the longest serving customer, Dominic - both of whom have supported the cafe throughout the full 10 years, since its inception.
Mid-morning, there was a break in proceedings while another regular customer from the early days, County Councillor, Richard Smith, publicly presented certificates to three volunteers, all of whom had passed their professional hygiene training exam. The cafe has been inspected four times in its life and, each time, passed with a full five stars.
The SMILE Community Cafe aims to provide a welcoming and friendly setting, helping customers to make new friends and help make the community more inclusive. Along with providing the papers and games, from time to time, the cafe also provides free live music.
"We attract a great cross-section of the community, from families with toddlers to senior citizens. A great number of our customers are regulars, including friends and neighbours who meet up for brunch together - to enjoy our very popular all-day breakfast. And, because we're all volunteers we are able to offer quality food at very reasonable prices. We're now looking forward to another productive ten years of putting a smile on customers' faces!" - Graham Ward, Volunteer Joint Manager
The SMILE Community Cafe has seating for up to 50 people, socially distanced.
The SMILE Community Cafe joins the 2022 Sax Community Fest.
The SMILE Cafe worked with 'SMART' to secure funding for a dedicated marquee and associated facilities - in order to manage a refreshment station, in particlar for the frail and elderly and those with disabilities. The call was to provide an inclusive and friemdly oasis in order to help improve social inclusion. Customers could come in, sit down relax and have a chat.
So during the days of Friday July 29th and Saturday July 30th, the SMILE Community Cafe set up shop - setting up the pop-up cafe in an outside setting fot the first time!
And, what a success it was! Two record days of takings demonstrated its popularity and several new friends were made in the process.
We would like to extend our thanks to the SMART team of volunteers for helping with our setting up and trouble shooting some initial teething problems - with a special recognition for Terry Barrow (the Festival Main Man).
The SMILE Cafe relaunches - following the Covid-19 Pandemic
First in line - as the SMILE Café relaunched at the new Fromus Centre – was Saxmundham Town Councillor Roger Hedley Lewis, who had brought with him a small breakfast party to test out the new catering service in town.
No sooner had the tables been set out, laid and sanitised, than the orders were in – a mix of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, porridge (extra thick), toast with jam, beans on toast and a full English breakfast
With a brand new commercial kitchen, new equipment and eight halogen plates, the head cook and kitchen staff were immediately under pressure to get ‘firing on all eight’.
The first Wednesday, with no promotion, was meant to be a very soft launch to trial the system but once service was under way, a steady stream of customers meant the kitchen service didn’t get a break until 1.30pm!
"I was very impressed with the new surroundings and the socially distanced tables. My all day breakfast was not only delicious but great value for money. I noted that daily newspapers were provided and, all in all, there was a relaxed and friendly ambiance. I will be back." - Cllr. Roger Hedley Lewis, Saxmundham Town Council
October 4th: A Resounding Success!
On the first day of opening, over 100 customers streamed into the SMILE Cafe in the first 3 hours!
We would like to give a special vote of thanks to Sharon and her team from Coastal Caterers (www.coastalcaterers.co.uk) who provided a range of complimentary canapes and their own staff to pass them round and, in so doing, took some of the strain of accomodating so many customers.
The challenge now is to reach out to all those people, in this rural part of East Suffolk, who are experiencing varying degrees of social isolation and let them know that there is a friendly and welcoming oasis in Saxmundham - a place to relax, unwind, meet and chat with others in similar circumstances, and also have the opportunity to meet professionals to gain valuable information, advice and guidance
Please help to spread the word - we're here to help!
The Big Launch!
The SMILE cafe will be launched at the Fromus Centre, Saxmundam at 11am on Thursday October 4th, 2012
Preparations to Launch the pop-up SMILE Cafe at the Fromus Centre....
PASTEL and the Rotary Club of Saxmundham & District have a final round of meetings in September, to launch the SMILE cafe - a cafe aimed at supporting adults with additional needs and Carers within rural East Suffolk.The SMILE Cafe will be a pop-up cafe operating at the Fromus Centre in Saxmundham, every Thursday 10am - 2pm and will be staffed by community volunteers
The SMILE Cafe will managed by PASTEL. The Rotary Club of Saxmundham & District will provide seed-corn funding, equipment, tableware and back-up expertise.
PASTEL is currently recruiting and training volunteers to staff and help run the cafe.
The project is financed by both PASTEL and Rotary, with additional funding received from the Saxmundham Waitrose superstore and EDF Energy
However, we wish to give particular thanks for the recognition of the extent of the SMILE Cafe customer coverage, and associated funding support, from our 4 local county councillors. They have each made contributions from their personal Locality Budgets:
- 1. Cllr. Colin Hart (Framlingham)
- 2. Cllr. Rae Leighton (Blything)
- 3. Cllr. Andrew Reid (Wilford)
- 4. Cllr. Richard Smith, MVO (Aldeburgh and Leiston)