Cafe

HARP Cafe

HARP Café is client led and aims to provide a safe and empowering environment. All volunteers are provided with on-going support in developing all aspects of self-care with particular emphasis being placed on building confidence and self-esteem.

Volunteers can learn about all aspects of catering including basic food hygiene, health and safety, budgeting, nutrition, menu planning, cooking skills, customer services, invoicing and business skills.

There are around 20 volunteers working in the café at present plus 1 full time volunteer driver, also 1 volunteer has moved onto a paid new deal placement.  All our volunteers have mental health needs and come to the café not only to make social contacts and reduce social isolation but also to learn work skills in a busy environment. All volunteers are encouraged to take an active role in running and management of the café, with regular volunteer meetings and consultations taking place.

We offer a full supervision and support package plus new volunteers are given an induction and skills assessment when they join the team. This enables us to work with volunteers on specific areas of need and interest. It also gives volunteers information about how to access other services available to them within the building. The aim of a placement at the café is to improve people's mental health, to facilitate move on to education, other volunteering opportunities or paid employment as well as to gain cooking, self-care and nutritional knowledge.

Creating a separate business not only allows us to put any profit we generate into HARP to support our range of Mental Health service, but will give volunteers a chance to earn money, and further develop skills that they have learnt in the café.

We also run our busy outside catering operation Good Mood Food from the Zion centre, and have recently developed this into a social business.  Presently Good Mood Food it is run from HARP Café but we will soon be moving to separate premises. This will provide more; much needed volunteering opportunities and also create a clear progression route for volunteers choosing to take on more responsibility and gain new skills.  Any profit made by the business is covenanted back to support HARP services. After a major advertising drive, we have increased our customer base and sales this year and are presently working on a new menu.

Volunteers' views on volunteering

 "Being a volunteer for HARP Cafe has helped me to engage in life again. It has given me more confidence and a focus away from myself. Mixing with other people, who do not judge has helped me to overcome anxieties. There has been a knock on effect to do other things as well, like rekindle an interest for herbal remedies and gardening. I have learned to realise my own needs and feel like myself again. And I am learning new things all the time, for example how to chop an onion properly!" Alicia

"Volunteering at the HARP Café has been very rewarding and an achievement for me." Adrian

"I enjoy working in the kitchen and it gives me a break from the house." Andrew

"Volunteering is confidence building and helps you to communicate with people." Anna

"It keeps your self-esteem up and gives you motivation." Paul

"It makes me feel all right, it is nice to work and I made friends since I started here." Stuart

"I feel all right, I like the people, I like the activities. The way it's going on is all right, the team is all right." Taseta

Customer Quotes

"The Café is good, it appears to be organised and you get good service."

"The efficiency of the management is visible. It is done with a great deal of understanding of the trainee's needs. For example you can see the happiness on people's faces."

"Thursdays are my favourites, because its chicken rice n peas at the HARP Café. I love it!"

Our views on volunteers

To talk about the HARP Café means to talk about volunteers. Our army of helpers who make it possible to not only feed the population of Hulme (well, at least the Zion Centre), but cater for numerous functions all over town every day as well. It has been truly amazing to see the commitment of every person involved in the running of HARP Café and Good Mood Food. We have been able to give service with a smile to all café customers even when we had five buffets to be prepared and delivered. This has all been possible thanks to the fantastic team spirit and the willingness of every volunteer to go that extra mile. All volunteers have been an example and an inspiration to us staff and I cannot praise them enough for that. It has shown us on a daily basis what we should be about, working together and supporting each other with the utmost respect. A huge thank you to all the people who helped running our projects and our admiration for their efforts.

Case Studies

Number 1

Last year I was being sectioned in November after I suffered a year's long depression. I had no interest in life. I did not go out or socialise. I had totally given up, basically.

Being sectioned was a turning point, though. I got the help I needed like an Occupational Therapist, a Support Worker and a CPN. It took a while; I gradually started doing things like pottery. I started slowly and built up. My CPN told me about the HARP Café. I always had a keen interest in cooking from an early age, encouraged by my mother. Volunteering at the HARP Café is good for confidence and gives a sense of achievement. I find it rewarding if you cooked a nice meal, people eat it and say they really enjoyed it. It also taught me to develop social skills, to interact with other volunteers, staff and customers. I was supposed to start college this year but did not feel ready yet. There is still too much anxiety and I still take meds. I would like to do anxiety management classes and relaxation classes. I would like to study catering, my biggest ambition would be to own my private catering company. HARP has definitely helped me learning new skills regarding food preparation and to see how a professional kitchen works, as it is different to cooking at home. It has also helped me to be around people again.

Anonymous

Number 2

I started a relationship with HARP about 10 years ago. I used to see a worker after a very bad experience. My baby girl and I were nearly murdered and the guy was stalking me. He went to jail and we got a life! I left HARP, believing I had no mental problems. I still do, I have a condition called P.T.S.S. which has its difficulties, but also, believe it or not, it's advantages. I came back to HARP about two and a half years ago, I tried working in the kitchen but for me it was too hot, so I do the washing and other bits. I have enjoyed my work. I like meeting the people. I believe in emotional problems and choose how I live. My workers are great and treat me like a person.

Donna

Number 3

When I was 17 I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I suffered a nervous breakdown halfway through my A-levels, that's when my family realised something was wrong. After an attempted suicide I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. I have been in hospitals for up to 6 month at a time and in and out of them. I have been on and off different medications as well. Since starting my current medication in 2001 I have settled on it. I used to work in the cooking business for a while, got married and then became homeless. I ended up getting a free train ticket to Manchester and lived in a night shelter. I got in contact with a homeless project and when one of their workers moved jobs I was introduced to HARP. Den helped me find accommodation and told me about the Café project. I started working in the Café and found that working can be compatible with medications as long as support is provided, which HARP gives me. Not only support but practical assistance with advise, benefits and counselling. I feel that whatever problem I have there is always a person there to deal with it.

I left HARP in 2004 to do other things. I carried on an interest in catering by doing an NVQ at college. After successfully finishing the course I started looking for work. When I asked at HARP for a reference Sharon asked me if I was interested to do an ILF scheme. I jumped at the chance to do a six-month work experience. It is proving to be the good experience I expected. I gain experience of the food industry, serve the public and learn more about healthy food. I have developed a keen interest in vegetarian food since the variety can be appealing. I would love a career in vegetarian food but I am aware that specific choices are not always available in the job market.

Anna