Member Article

Football club and college unite to provide tea and training

A café set in scenic parkland in north Manchester is set to re-open next week after a community-based football club paired with a college to run it.

The lakeside café in Boggart Hole Clough park closed three weeks ago when the former operator stepped down due to poor health.

Realising the café could close completely, local community group FC United agreed to manage the operation, in partnership with The Manchester College - providing a training opportunity for unemployed people to gain skills in catering and customer service.

The café will be open for two days a week, between 10.30am to 3.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday - which have been identified as the days the park is most popular with activity groups.

FC United will continue to explore whether these opening times can be extended during the interim period and is appealing to volunteers from the local community and from among its members to help make that possible.

FC United will operate the café as an interim measure – with support from the city council – until a permanent tenant can be found in the new year.

Cllr Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: “We made a commitment to make sure a café in Boggart Hole Clough was available for park users, and although the economic backdrop has proved challenging for café businesses, we remain committed to this promise.

“Despite serious financial difficulties affecting all of leisure services – and indeed the entire city council – we are really pleased to have secured a local partner in FC United to run the café until a permanent operator can be found, and the training link with Manchester College makes the partnership particularly positive.”

Andy Walsh, General Manager of FC United, said: “The café at Boggart Hole Clough is a valuable meeting place for park users and community groups. FC United is pleased to be able to assist the council and the local community in keeping it open whilst a permanent tenant can be found.

“The café will be run by FC United staff and we aim to run training courses on subjects such as catering and customer relations in partnership with Manchester College.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .