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Community Cafe and Day Centre at The Foxton Centre

Lady chatting to a gentleman at the Foxton Centre

The Logo of The Community Cafe at the Foxton Centre

Community Cafe

The Community Café offers people a comfortable, safe space in which they can get a nutritious and affordable meal, socialise and take advantage of a variety of organised activities, such as:

  • Accredited life skills training
  • Arts and crafts projects
  • Social activities.

Support is also available within the Café from a team of community social workers, project workers and students, who work with small case loads, offering intensive daily support to people with complex needs.

AQA accredited course

Currently, the Community Cafe offers AQA accredited courses in the following subjects:

  • Cook and Eat - Learning to identify inexpensive healthy meals, budget for a recipe and cook in a safe and hygienic manner.
  • IT Course - Service users learn basic computer skills, including opening and creating word documents, accessing and searching the internet, creating and sending e-mails, opening and creating power point documents, and using publisher to design cards/newsletters.
  • Greenfingers Allotment - AQAs are available for being involved in all aspects of seeding, planting, growing, digging, weeding, crop rotation etc.
  • Alcohol Awareness Course - this course is primarily linked with the Wet Garden and encourages people to look at and assess their own drinking habits and behavior. It also allows people to look at the role of alcohol in a wider context.

There are AQAs available for being involved in different aspects of the Community Cafe also. The Service User Committee has taken on a role for organising and managing community events and trips which has been accredited using AQA units.

Volunteers also have an opportunity to gain AQA accredited qualifications through volunteering in the kitchen and learning basic food safety and hygiene.

The Day Centre

The Foxton Centre run a Day Centre for the homeless and rough sleepers in the city.

The Day Centre attempts to meet the practical needs that people have to make their life a little more bearable.

Due to covid restrictions The Foxton Centre have had to change the way they work, however they always make sure people have access to nutritious food. They have showers so that people can get themselves clean and the Centre carry a stock of clothing so that people have something to wear. The Centre also has a washing machine and drier so that clothes can be kept clean.

However the Centre isn't just about maintaining people in a difficult position, they want to help people change their lives. They have a team of qualified staff, students and volunteers who help address the wider needs that people have. They do this by making a plan with people about the things they want to sort out this might include;

  • finding temporary and permanent accommodation
  • helping them return to a different area if that helps
  • help them get a doctor
  • help them sort out finances and benefits
  • re-connect with family and friends

In the really bad weather The Centre open extra services to enable people to keep safe. In the past this used to be by opening the doors of the centre to let people sleep in the relative safety of the building and during the 'Beast from the East' snow storms in 2018 the Centre provided shelter for 28 people.

In the twelve months to April 2021 with the support of a variety of funding schemes, The Foxton Centre have accommodated over 107 people each night, across Preston.

In the year April 2020 to February 2021, The Foxton Centre, have supported over 235 individuals by providing accommodation and provided 33,668 bed nights through the year.

Out of the 243 service users the Centre have provided accommodation, 64 of these individuals are women, roughly around 26% of our Rough Sleepers.

"The Foxton Centre have helped me so much, they have supplied a sleeping bag, ensured I was off the street whilst waiting for the supported housing interview and much more.

Just to be able to shower, change clothes and have a hot meal. I am grateful for all the support including the member of staff attending my interview and knowing what to say as I have never done this before. I was given hope."