Thinking outside the box really is a piece of cake

As a tourist destination, Ilkley has no shortage of coffee shops, tea rooms and restaurants to entice visitors and locals alike, but a new café has opened in the town that is much more than just a place for a cuppa.

Outside the Box, which opened its doors to the public in August, is a social enterprise run by the charity, Ilkley Community Enterprise Ltd.

It aims to support local adults and young people with learning disabilities by offering them training and work experience in the café to help them to lead more independent lives.

The incentive to set up Outside the Box came when a previous café in the town with a similar remit, which operated just two days a week, had to move premises. “It gave us the opportunity to think about whether to get bigger,” says John Thirlwell, one of the new café’s three trustees and father of a son with Down’s Syndrome.

“We had a meeting where many other parents like me came along and we decided it would be good to expand a bit and to have more community involvement.”

Following that initial meeting, over a period of 18 months, the group managed to find premises in a former garage showroom, raise £80,000 through grants and voluntary fundraising and set up the charity.

Mr Thirlwell is one of three trustees, along with Karen Goodman and Louise Hale. “I offered to help when I heard that the previous café was losing its premises,” says Ms Goodman. “I got involved mainly because I have children with a learning disability and I wanted somewhere in Ilkley that I would be proud to send my children to.”

There are around 24 adults with learning disabilities, or members, supported by a team of volunteers. They number around 80 with 50 doing regular shifts at the café.

“It is a great place to volunteer,” says Ms Goodman. “We give them all the training they need and it is really good fun as well as being very rewarding. ”

Training is key in the café’s approach and each member has an individual learning and development plan tailored to their particular aims and needs. “We want people to fulfil their ambitions in life, particularly with work and training,” says Ms Goodman. “And we work out what we need to do to help them achieve that.” She says they are already seeing members’ confidence growing as they learn new skills.

The charity has appointed a full-time learning and development manager. There is already a full-time paid manager, Nicola Wheeler, who has 25 years’ professional experience in catering. She is there to ensure the café is commercially viable.

“The core thinking behind this is that it is going to be real work experience,” says Mr Thirlwell. “Some members don’t want to go down the route of formal training but for those who do we are looking at various qualifications.

“We have taken on all the members who were being looked after by the old café and we have added to that.

“We have people coming from Leeds, Harrogate and Bradford – there is such a scarcity of this kind of support in West Yorkshire.”

Another important role is to raise awareness of learning disability in the local community. Important links have already been forged with other businesses in the town so that, in the longer term, there may be further employment opportunities for the young adults they are currently supporting.

Members Lizzie Scott, 33, Simon Waggett, 31, and Catherine Hastings, 24, all feel they are benefiting from their involvement at the café. “I’m really enjoying it,” says Catherine. “I’ve been taking people’s orders and using the coffee machine and the till. I am learning a lot of new skills.” Simon, who is a keen cook, agrees. “I enjoy cooking and baking, especially making the scones,” he says.

“I come in all day every Friday and I am having fun.” Lizzie enjoys taking people’s orders and has just learned to use the coffee machine.

“I have done some cooking too and selling cakes and some cleaning.”

Manager Nicola Wheeler has never worked with people with learning disabilities before.

“It’s nice to have the opportunity to pass on some of my skills and it’s great to see people developing. At the end of the day I go home and I think ‘I’ve done something good today.’”

The local community has embraced the project and the café is busy and popular “There is a relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for young children,” says trustee Louise Hale.

The charity is keen to try out a variety of initiatives that engage the community, such as a vegetable exchange whereby allotment holders and gardeners who have 
any excess fruit or vegetables can donate them to the 
café in return for drinks vouchers.

One local orchard owner had a surplus of plums, so a group of members and volunteers went fruit-picking for the day and came back with boxes of plums which they have been making into jam; they will be going back again to collect apples and pears. “We have been working with some of the special schools in the area to arrange visits for students to come here,” says Louise Hale. “And we are putting together a programme of after school activities, such as art classes and pizza making evenings.”

Transforming a former garage showroom into the bright, airy and welcoming space that it is today was done with the help of local professionals who donated their expertise and practical skills.

The cafe with a key difference

Outside the Box Café is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4pm.

It serves coffees, 
teas, breakfast, lunches and daily specials plus home-baked cakes and scones. All the food is made on the premises and where possible uses locally 
sourced ingredients.

A 15-week accredited drama course for adults 
with learning difficulties started earlier this month.

They also run a fortnightly sewing circle, Sewing Bee, for beginners and experienced crafters.

The café is keen to 
encourage local community groups to hire the space for meetings, activities or celebrations.

Grants for the café came from a number of charitable trusts 
including one from The Hilton in the Community Foundation which has donated money to help younger adults with learning disabilities.

Outside the Box, 2 Bridge Lane, Ilkley LS29 9HN

For more information visit the website at www.outsidethe boxcafe.com