A new social enterprise café has been officially opened in Bargoed Library.
Caerphilly County Borough Mayor Gaynor Oliver, officially opened the ‘Book Worm Coffee Shop’ in the award-winning Hanbury Chapel library in Bargoed.
The coffee shop, situated at the rear of the building, is a social enterprise which means it is run as a not-for-profit organisation. It is run by two other social enterprises, the White Rose Information and Resource Centre based in New Tredegar and Ann’s Kitchen based in Graig Y Rhacca Resource Centre.
The Book Worm coffee shop serves a selection of home-baked cakes, coffees teas and cold drinks, it also provides free Wi-Fi access.
Tower Print, based in Bedwas, provided marketing advice and support and printed promotional material to help get the coffee shop up and running.
Cllr Gaynor Oliver said: “This is a wonderful coffee shop in a beautiful building, what makes it particularly special is that two of our most successful social enterprises, the White Rose Centre and Ann’s kitchen, are part of it. We need to recognise the important role social enterprises play in helping the people of our communities.”
Cllr Tudor Davies, leader of Bargoed Town Council, said: “The opening of this new coffee shop is a further sign of the regeneration of Bargoed. It also adds another dimension to the facilities already on offer in this magnificent award winning building.”
Darren Pole, from Tower Print, said: “As a local business we are delighted to support the Book Worm Coffee Shop, not only have we assisted with marketing material but we will also explore ways to support this social enterprise in the future.”
I have never understood why Bargoed needed yet another cafe. Quite why providing a service that is already well catered for in a commercial context is a sign of regeneration is baffling. Multiplex is something new, so too the out of town supermarket. But a new cafe in Bargoed is akin to opening a bus stop in a bus station.