Training cafe applies to extend stay in city park

A York community cafe that works with young people with disabilities and additional needs is hoping to remain at its current site for a further five years.

Hull Road Park Cafe, which is run by social enterprise Choose2 CIC, has operated from a portable cabin-style building since 2017.

An application to keep the Portakabin on site for the next five years has been submitted to City of York Council while funding for a permanent structure is sought.

Choose2 said the cafe had become an integral part of the park and surrounding area and that it wanted to continue to provide affordable food and drink as well as offer skills development for its clients.

The application said the cafe offered a range of "learning opportunities in catering and hospitality" and aimed to "enable clients to reach their full potential".

"Introducing a community cafe into the park has provided a valued additional destination point for local people," it said.

"This is alongside the Christmas meals [which] have become a highly effective way of overcoming social isolation in the area by offering affordable meals in a community setting that brings people together in the festive season."

Submission of the plans come after the council agreed in March to lease the building to Choose2, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

The local authority also agreed to lease the land to Choose2 for the next 10 years.

Over the last two years, the cafe said it had provided more than 2,000 affordable meals to vulnerable people, including more than 70 three-course Christmas meals to people experiencing social isolation.

The venue said it also worked with local groups and organisations such as the Tang Hall Community Centre, youth clubs and childminders.

It had also provided a drop-in space for local councillors and had hosted food and activity programmes during the school holidays.

A winter warm space with free drinks and pay-as-you-feel meals had also been previously offered.

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