Talking Shop is a local volunteer project running a community hub for the local area. An affordable convenient community shop & cafe run through a structured, inclusive volunteering programme: a bright, airy, friendly space to bump into neighbours, meet new people, get new skills, find out what's going on & get great local food. We also have a bike mechanic team, gardening team, a knit & stitch group, monthly lunch club & food surplus cafes, weekly table tennis sessions. Something for everyone.
Why the community needs usOur shop & cafe are an affordable, walkable resource as well as a route to market for small local producers. Our structured volunteering programme welcomes people into diverse, inclusive teams, enabling them to build up skills & confidence at their own pace, offering for some a vital step on the pathway into work, for others a valuable social opportunity and a chance to make a real contribution to the local community. Our open doors are particularly valuable to vulnerable or isolated residents.
Our impact on the communityTalking Shop brings people together: Over great local food; Through the learning and sharing of skills; Bringing resources and services back into the community. In this next year we will be working even harder to reduce social isolation in our area, to help to counter food poverty, to create opportunities for volunteering, work experience and skills development.
We have a great team of about 100 but we always need more. We need more people to help on Saturdays at the market. Do as much or as little as works for you - and there are lots of ways to get involved. * EMAIL US volunteer.talkingshop@gmail.com
