Community café launched for Deeplish, Freehold and Castlemere families

Mayor Surinder Biant cuts the ribbon to open the café, joined by Mayoress Cecile Biant, staff, volunteers and families

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The mayor and mayoress of Rochdale officially opened a new café for families living near Tweedale Street, Rochdale, offering access to advice, child play sessions and courses in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Initially run by staff from Deeplish Children’s Centre, the café offers mums and dads the chance to have an informal chat about anything from housing to childcare, while the children play in a welcoming open-plan room filled with interactive toys, books and activities.

A wide range of refreshments is on offer, while staff provide sessions on play, early reading and baby massage, with the possibility of delivering free courses on first-aid and food hygiene in the future.

Located at 122 Faringdon, off Tweedale Street, the café is open throughout January on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9.30am-3.30pm and local families can have a say when they want the café to open in February and beyond.

Sharon Kelly, children’s centre manager at Deeplish, said: “The whole project is a real community effort. We consulted with residents about what they want from the café, the redecorating was done by a parent volunteer and in the long-term we hope that it will be run entirely by community volunteers. It’s such a warm and inviting atmosphere, it immediately puts you at ease and we’ve found that it’s a great way to interact with people who might not usually come to something more formal like a children’s centre building.”

Mayor Surinder Biant, said: “The staff here are incredibly friendly, the playroom is beautifully decorated and it was a joy to see children immediately settling down to play while parents could have a chat. It was a pleasure to officially open this wonderful café and I’m sure families will find it hugely beneficial.”

The café has been refurbished and redecorated by Rochdale Borough Council and leased from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, who have agreed to a six month free trial period to help kick-start the project.