Better Connected Community Café - more than just food

This welcoming weekly café brings local people together, addresses loneliness and isolation, and provides vital support during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The café runs every Friday, offering a warm, friendly space where anyone from the community can drop in for free soup, toasties, a scone, and a hot drink. Over the past year, the café has welcomed 82 individual people with 921 visits in total, averaging around 16-20 people each week. It brings together a mix of community members including men and women of all ages, people living in poverty, carers, families, and those with long-term health conditions or disabilities.

Making a Difference to Vulnerable Lives

For many vulnerable residents, this café is a lifeline. One hundred percent of people attending said the café gives them a reason to get out and about, while 84% said it helps their health 'a lot'. People who were feeling isolated or lonely have somewhere to go, and new friends to meet. As one person shared: 'If I didn't go, I would be in the house meeting no-one – since being widowed.' Another said: 'Being disabled, I feel less isolated and am meeting people now, any problems I can ask people who can help me out.'

The café is particularly valuable during financially challenging times. With free, healthy food provided each week, it helps people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. The warm space means people don't have to heat their homes as much. Beyond the practical support, 73% of attendees said their mental health and wellbeing had improved, 57% felt less lonely, and everyone said they felt welcome and included.

Working with Local Services

The café doesn't work alone. Healthy Valleys has built strong partnerships with local services to provide better support for residents. The NHS Community Mental Health Team and health visitors refer people who might benefit from the café. The team provides information about local activities and signposts people to specialist services like Money Matters and the Citizens Advice Bureau for those facing financial difficulties. They can also arrange food bank referrals for anyone who needs them.

The café also works closely with Blackwood and Kirkmuirhill Resilience Group, the local Men's Shed, and NHS Lanarkshire's Health Improvement Team. This means health messages about smoking cessation, cancer awareness, and mental health support reach people in a comfortable, informal setting. Sometimes other agencies visit the café to talk with people directly, making support more accessible.

Real Results

The impact speaks for itself. Every single person said the café helps the community feel friendlier and more connected. People have formed genuine new friendships and support each other. As one attendee put it: 'This café gets me out. I get to see friends. This has also encouraged me to attend other groups.’

The funding from the Auchrobert Wind Farm Fund has enabled this vital community resource to continue, bringing warmth, food, friendship, and support to those who need it most.

“The Better Connected Community Café is about so much more than food. It’s a place where people feel welcome, valued, and part of something special. Thanks to the Nadara Auchrobert Wind Farm Community Fund, we’ve been able to create a warm, supportive space that helps people through loneliness, financial pressure, and difficult life circumstances, while building real connections and friendships within the community.”

Read more about the Nadara Auchrobert Wind Farm Community Fund