By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The upcoming closure of a “much-loved” community cafe in Gloucester has been met with sadness.
The Friendship Cafe at Chequers Bridge Community Centre off Painswick Road has announced it will be closing its coffee shop in the coming weeks due to rising costs and a decline in funding for community organisations.
The charity said the decision to close “has been taken with considerable thought and much regret”.
While the coffee shop is closing, all of its other services remain unaffected.
Councillor Roseanna Marshall (L), who represents the nearby Barton and Tredworth at Gloucester City Council, said she is hopeful it could reopen in future.
“I am really sad to hear that the coffee shop is closing due to lack of funding,” she said.
“It is such a great asset to the local community and a safe space for many residents too.
“Moving forward I am hopeful that it can be reopened again to serve the community with more financial support.”
The Frindship Cafe said in a statement that they are exploring ways the space could reopen.
“The Coffee Shop has been a much-loved community hub, a warm, welcoming space made possible by our amazing staff,” they said.
“But rising costs and a sharp decline in funding for community organisations mean we can no longer subsidise the Coffee Shop as we have done for many years.
“We’re now taking time to explore how the space could reopen in the future in a more sustainable way.”
“We’d love to hear from you: If you have ideas about how the Coffee Shop could run differently, please get in touch.
“Thank you for your understanding and for being part of our community.”
People with suggestions for the Coffee Shop can contact The Friendship Cafe by emailing info@thefriendshipcafe.com