Have You Ever Thought About Where a Community Café Could Take You?

Do you ever think to yourself, “I'd never work in a café” or “I want a career, not just a summer job”?

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If that's you, have you ever stopped to think about the possibilities?

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Wickerbys is not simply a café. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC), which means that alongside serving our local community, we can provide opportunities for people to develop skills, gain experience, volunteer, undertake training and potentially progress towards employment and apprenticeships.

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Our founder has an MSc in Business Psychology, MSc in Management with HR, BA (Hons) Business (HRM), Foundation Degree in Hospitality and Tourism and HND in Health and Social Care, alongside a range of other professional qualifications, plus 14 years experience in hospitality and 13 years working in the education sector . This means we can offer knowledgeable support and understand that everyone's route into work can look different, particularly for people who may have experienced disadvantage or barriers to employment.

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First and foremost, Wickerbys is a community café for everyone. We serve our community while also providing food and support to people experiencing homelessness. But none of this happens without our workforce. Our staff, whether that's paid employees, volunteers or apprentices, are the backbone of Wickerbys and keep everything functioning.

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We are now looking closely at the employment, apprenticeship, training and volunteering opportunities that we may be able to provide as Wickerbys develops.

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Perhaps you're autistic and find constant interaction with people difficult. Perhaps you have ADHD and can become overwhelmed in particular environments. You may have a physical disability, lack confidence, have been unemployed for a long time, be returning to work, have little previous experience, or simply need someone to give you an opportunity.

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Working in a community café doesn't necessarily mean serving customers.

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There are many different roles and career pathways that can exist within and around a community café, including:

• Hospitality & catering – cooking, food preparation, baking, food hygiene, kitchen assistance and menu development.

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• Barista – learning how to prepare and serve a range of coffees and hot drinks, use and maintain coffee equipment, develop presentation skills and provide excellent customer service.

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• Customer service – welcoming customers, taking orders, serving food and developing communication skills.

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• Business administration – emails, paperwork, filing, data entry, record keeping and general office administration.

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• Human resources – volunteer records, recruitment, inductions, training records and supporting workforce development.

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• Retail – stock control, purchasing, merchandising, EPOS systems and customer service.

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• Finance & bookkeeping – invoices, receipts, basic accounts, budgeting and financial administration.

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• Procurement – researching suppliers, obtaining and comparing quotes, purchasing goods and services, monitoring costs, maintaining supplier relationships and helping Wickerbys achieve value for money.

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• Marketing & social media – creating posts, advertising activities, photography, promotional materials and helping develop our online presence.

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• IT & digital skills – website administration, spreadsheets, databases and helping people access digital services.

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• Community development – helping organise and run groups, activities and events, developing new community projects and supporting people to become involved in their local community.

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• Mental health & wellbeing support – developing listening and communication skills, signposting people to appropriate services, making referrals where appropriate and supporting community wellbeing within appropriate boundaries.

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• Employment support – helping with CVs, applications, job searches and confidence-building activities, as well as signposting and referring people to appropriate employment, training and support services.

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• Training & education – supporting workshops, work placements and learning activities.

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• Fundraising – researching opportunities, organising fundraising activities and supporting grant applications.

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• Project management – helping plan, organise and evaluate community projects.

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• Leadership & management – developing supervisory, team-leading and organisational skills as experience grows.

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• Research & evaluation – collecting feedback, carrying out surveys and helping us demonstrate the difference our services make.

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• Cleaning – maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the café, kitchen and community spaces and developing practical workplace skills.

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• Pot wash – washing and sanitising dishes, utensils and kitchen equipment, maintaining an organised washing-up area and supporting the smooth running of the kitchen.

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• Delivery and collection driver – collecting and delivering food, stock, donations and other items, supporting the café and wider community activities.

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• Logistics – coordinating collections and deliveries, organising stock movement, planning routes, managing supplies and helping ensure resources are in the right place when they are needed.

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• Safeguarding – opportunities to develop safeguarding knowledge and, with the appropriate training and experience, take on responsibilities such as a Safeguarding Lead or Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

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• First aid – gaining recognised first-aid training and potentially taking responsibility as a workplace First Aider.

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• Fire safety – developing fire-safety knowledge and, with appropriate training, taking responsibility as a Fire Marshal/Fire Warden.

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• Health & safety – supporting risk assessments, accident reporting, workplace safety procedures and the safe operation of the café.

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• Food safety – developing knowledge of food hygiene, allergen management, temperature monitoring and safe food-handling procedures.

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• Maintenance and practical roles – keeping the environment safe, organised and welcoming without requiring constant customer interaction.

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Some people may thrive in a busy customer-facing role. Others may be much happier working quietly on a computer, organising stock, preparing food, creating social-media content or completing administrative tasks.

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The aim isn't to force people to fit a job. Where possible, we want to look at people's strengths and find opportunities that help them develop.

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A few hours volunteering could be someone's first step towards confidence. For another person, it could provide recent experience for their CV. Someone else may want to progress into training, an apprenticeship or employment.

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So, before thinking “I'd never work in a café,” think about what might actually be happening behind the counter.

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At Wickerbys, a community café can be a place to learn, contribute, build confidence, gain experience and discover where your skills could take you.

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Interested in becoming part of Wickerbys? Keep watching our page as we develop our volunteering, training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities.