After-School Coffee Bar
A great opportunity for volunteers to assist with staffing a coffee bar/drop-in on Friday afternoons from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Christ Church URC. Right on the High Street, it's an ideal spot for young people to relax at the end of a week at school.
The project can only happen if we get enough volunteers! We hope enough will come forward for you to be needed for a 90-minute shift every few weeks.
Volunteers needed to staff this really worthwile project. See sidebar for details.
Details
Aims
To love and care for those around us, as Christ commanded us to. To provide a safe and friendly place where young people can socialise after school, have inexpensive refreshments and come in contact with people associated with church and the church building. Thus keeping teenagers off the streets where they are more than likely to come into contact with more harmful influences. To build up relationships with teenagers from the local area of South Tonbridge and those passing through it, possibly leading to them becoming integrated into other church events. After a period of time establishing exactly what needs the children we come into contact with have, and maybe developing the coffee bar further, e.g. homework help, workshops, people to talk to/listen to them, games, sports events etc.
Plan
Coffee bar to be run with staff from Tonbridge Churches, in the vestibule area of Christ Church, taking advantage of its position in the High Street.
- Coffee bar will open on Friday, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. As it is best suitable for young people. (With timings and days open, able to expand depending on the success of the coffee bar and needs of the children etc.)
- Coffee bar will be foremost a “chill out” zone for teenagers (Senior school age), with music playing, games available, chatting and possible Playstation games going on (provided by Paul Meunier), all with a very relaxed atmosphere.
- Various refreshments and tuck will be for sale, at realistic prices (not the £3.00 some shops sell 1 cup of tea for!).
- The coffee bar will be a place where information, leaflets, event programmes etc, will be available to the young people to have, from both churches, and other organisations.
Costs
The coffee bar in itself is fairly cost effective to run, and teams of 4-5 people will be needed to staff it each week, with Fran Ingram (Christ Church youth worker) being the overall co-ordinator of the Coffee Bar, although if the prospects of the Coffee Bar do grow, then more staff may be required.
- As the coffee bar deals with young people, regular staff would definitely require some kind of security check - preferably CRB, with other people helping out to attend at least a child protection talk from the overall leader.
- Refreshments and tuck would need to be purchased first, but these would make their money back as Coffee Bar runs. Also standard "conversation" games (e.g. Jenga, Connect 4, Pictionary etc) would help to build relationships between leaders and those who come to the Coffee Bar.
- Christian CDs that have a modern style and could be played to non-Christian teenagers would also be helpful!