- THE ARK OF CONVERSATION -
TRANSFORMING LIVES ONE CUPPA AT A TIME
What Is Coffee Ark?
TRANSFORMING LIVES ONE CUPPA AT A TIME
Coffee Ark is a mobile coffee shop for the whole community, with a particular heart for reaching those who find themselves separated or isolated whether through loneliness, challenges around mental health or other social circumstances.
The vision for Coffee Ark is to be a proactive presence in the rural community, meeting people where they are, offering generous hospitality and a radical welcome. This bold vision combines outstanding quality coffee and limitless generosity whenever and wherever we can. The building up of people, not profits is our ambition.
We want to meet the needs of people by providing an enjoyable safe space for the whole community to share life, grow together, find friendship and discover companionship. This will be achieved through integrated training for all volunteers, flexible yet embedded locations across initially Sawtry, Glatton, Holme and Connington (and we hope beyond). This will combine with a suite of welcoming best practice enhanced by specialist mental health facilitators, working in partnership with Coffee Ark.
What Is The Inspiration?
100 YEARS IN THE MAKING
The idea of bringing services to rural communities is not new. In fact the core inspiration for this new initiative started in 1897 with The Fenland Ark, the vision of Rev. George Broke. He wanted to create a way to support communities in the recently drained Fens to access church and other key services and resources with ease. The Fenland Ark, a 30 foot flatbottomed boat was born and put to exceptional use, navigating the waterways and towed by a horse, reaching the most rural areas on the edge of the Fens. Rev George Broke saw a need within the community and found an innovative way to meet it, much to benefit of those within the community.
More recently, the topic of ‘mental health’ and proactive care to wellbeing has been put to the forefront of people’s minds, with a key focus to eliminate any stigmas surrounding mental health issues and the ability to create open dialogue that enable helpful conversations. Whilst there has been a commendable amount of change surrounding this, we regularly witness that members of our community feel unable to reach out for help or don’t have to access to the services they need. This strain between provision and demand is often more prominent in rural communities that is where Coffee Ark has the ability to make a difference.
Have You Met Daisy?
THE RURAL APPROACH
Our chosen transport is ‘Daisy’, a professionally restored, coffee shop converted Land Rover 127. She joins us from south Cambridgeshire where she has been serving the best latte in town since 2016. Daisy is a stunning Defender and combines the much loved familiar rural transport of choice with an eco-friendly twist. Benefitting from roof top solar panels providing much of the energy to serve your favourite coffee.
Rural communities have distinct characteristics, as do the churches that exist within them. A mobile coffee shop specifically in a Land Rover allows us to meet the growing needs of dispersed populations and remote locations head on by enabling access to otherwise difficult locations (just like the original Fenland ark), fits perfectly in any rural setting and is a brilliant talking point to help conversations flow. CLICK HERE to see when you can meet Daisy.
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST 'GOING'S ON' AT COFFEE ARK
The Christmas Tree Festival
Coffee Ark is in Sawtry for the next 2 days 2-4.30pm, welcoming those coming to the All Saints Church Christmas Tree Festival. Come along to see some spectacular Christmas Trees alongside a hot cuppa, getting you into the festive spirit.
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Can You Support Our Vision
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
The vision for the Coffee Ark is in many ways to be a mobile church and embrace that heritage and we will work collaboratively and proactively with rural churches. However, the Coffee Ark has it’s own path and will have its own legal identity as a Community Interest Company (CIC). We are seeking support through the sharing of ideas, grants, and volunteering opportunities. We need to secure additional funds to bring this all to fruition and have a launch budget of £50,000. We would love you to be part of the adventure.......you know you want to.