In a ‘grey monstrosity’ of a former tax office, The Gateway Centre and its community outreach project, Café Avodah, have become a community hub and safe haven in Launceston, says manager Teresa Pickup.
Pay a visit to Café Avodah and you might see a ‘knit and natter’ group at work, a men’s group playing pool, the Launceston Money Advice Centre giving debt advice or customers enjoying board games and fresh soup.
Such is the interactive offer available at the unique Cornish community hub at the Gateway Centre in Launceston, which is run by Gateway Church and a small army of volunteers.
In 2013, the church took a lease on the Gateway Centre in the hope of developing a much-needed community centre for the people of Launceston.
Part of the project was to create a community café where people could socialise in a safe space. Café Avodah came into being as the community came out of lockdown.
“When my family joined the church in 2012, we used to meet in the town hall, but it was labour-intensive and all about Sunday,” says Teresa Pickup , pictured above, on the right, who manages the café and whose husband Kevin is lead pastor of the church.
“My heart was to reach the community so I prayed and kept seeing a vision of a three-storey building with a flat roof. Hopes and dreams kept flashing through my mind, then when the old tax office became available I was like, ‘This is it – that’s the building in my dream!’”
Gateway Church moved into the huge building in 2013 and the café was set up on the ground floor, with Teresa serving hot drinks, cakes and soup.
A three-year mission stint took the couple to France, then Teresa was back and bursting with ideas for expansion.
“I kept looking at the room thinking, ‘this needs to be filled’. I could imagine a community space but I’d never seen anything like it before, so how were we going to do it?”
The couple began advertising the café on Facebook and in the community. From there, a unique mix has developed.
A ‘free to use’ community table was introduced, which allows local groups who cannot afford to hire space to use the table to meet.
The café’s menu widened to include freshly made meals and soups, along with cakes and hot drinks.
“We’re a soup hub where people can either eat for free or pay what they can afford,” says Teresa.
“We sell large home-cooked meals, great wholesome breakfasts and people often come in to try our homemade cheese scones. We don’t charge much because I believe God is more worried about people’s wellbeing than what’s in our tills.”
The beauty and individuality of the café, however, comes from the fact it is also an interactive community space.
“People very rarely just come for coffee. They mingle, pull a jigsaw puzzle or game of chess off the shelf or join a group at the community table.”
WARM
The café has become a warm hub and something of a day centre too.
“Many support workers come with their clients. One lady who usually brings two or three people had 15 people eating together the other day. It was lovely!”
With a range of independent and government agencies dropping in to provide their services, people in need of help are regularly signposted to the café too.
The Launceston Money Advice Centre, for example, offers free debt advice and money management, while addiction charity We Are With You offers support and advice.
The café also takes part in a voucher scheme for homeless people, offering meals and use of its washing machine and tumble dryer.
But despite the fact Café Avodah is growing its presence in the town, Teresa says it is facing a new challenge.
“With 15 months left on the lease, there is some uncertainty as to what we will be doing next. But we say, look what we do for the community.
“The town council is behind us and I once heard the mayor say, ‘If you’ve got a problem go to the Gateway Centre – if they don’t know how to help no one will.’ We’re leaning on God like never before to help us.” Despite the uncertainty, Teresa remains passionate about the café.
“I love seeing lives transformed,” she says. “People grow wings as they come out of the depression, joblessness, poverty or isolation they were facing. To see them becoming healthy and happy brings me so much joy.”
