Community / Fundraising success for youth cafe
THE FUTURE of a youth cafe which operates twice a week in Lerwick but faces losing some of its funding is looking more secure after raising more than £4,000 in donations.
This means the crowdfunder for the OPEN Project’s Da Café initiative has smashed its initial target of £3,000.
Meanwhile the project has also secured short-term Community Led Local Development funding which will see the cafe provide free food and drinks for young people on Monday nights as well as Thursdays.
Da Café opens for young people aged 14-25 in the Olive Tree in Lerwick between 4pm and 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
At the moment café sees around 50 people each week come though the doors, and the aim is to provide a safe, warm and free space for young folk to go in Lerwick.
When the crowdfunder was launched the peer education OPEN Project only had funding secured to provide free food on Thursdays and open on Mondays until the end of March.
OPEN Project mentoring coordinator and development worker Wayne Leask said after reaching the initial goal the group is now “working towards our stretch target, which will provide more for young people”.
The fundraiser remains open until the end of March, and donations are match-funded by the Co-op Warm Spaces Funding Boost initiative.
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