The Table is working with Cardiff charities to reach out to disadvantaged people and offer them a monthly free meal
FOR customers who have gone to The Table cafe recently, it really has felt like Christmas. Fairy lights and tinsel hang across the banisters on the cafe’s upper level, a brightly decorated Christmas tree stands beside an altar, and the sound of festive music fills the air.
It seems as though Kate and Simon Walker, the cafe managers, are going out of their way to get their customers feeling festive. And this month, they truly embraced the Christmas spirit by giving people in need the chance to eat for free.
Mr and Mrs Walker, from Penylan, took over The Table, Pentyrch Street, during the first national lockdown in 2020, but they were unable to open to customers until September.
Kate, 50, was somewhat nervous about taking over from the previous cafe managers. “It was a bit worrying at first because they did such a brilliant job,” she said.
“I have never run a café and never thought I would ever run a café. But having a café means we are able to do an awful lot more for the community.”
They have been making plans to hold a monthly community dinner since they took over the cafe, and after months of organisation they were finally able to hold the first dinner on December 13, and served six people. There will now be a dinner every month, as long as government restrictions on the hospitality industry allow it.
To attend the community dinner, a person had to have a voucher. They could then have dinner at the cafe for free, or they could make a 50p donation which would go towards funding the next meal.
The Table gave out vouchers to Cardiff based charities Oasis and Rainbow of Hope so that they would be distributed to those who needed them most.
Oasis reach out to refugees and asylum seekers to assist them in integrating within their community, while Rainbow of Hope offer support for disadvantaged people such as the homeless; in essence, the type of people that Kate and Simon were keen to help.
Mrs Walker emphasised the importance of making the meal welcoming. She wanted to give those in need the full cafe experience, offering them a range of dining options as they do to all of their customers. “‘We want it to be a treat for people to be able to come into a cafe,” she said.
This is a view shared by her husband. Simon, 55, has been particularly keen to bring some joy into the lives of vulnerable people, especially given the challenges that 2020 has brought for so many people.
Mr Walker said in his conversations with customers, he has felt that there is an “emotional struggle, a sense that they are disconnected” and that there is a “sense of loss” because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As well as the emotional difficulties brought about by lockdown and social isolation, there have also been financial difficulties for many people. An analysis by the Legatum Institute estimates that the pandemic has pushed 690,000 people into poverty.
With this in mind, Simon said that he and Kate wanted to use the cafe as a community resource, and not a business interest. In particular, he mentioned footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to get free meals for children during the school holidays as an inspiration.
“It’s about galvanising a group of people. Any one person can be ineffective, but a group of people serving the community really helps.”
“There’s a sense that if we try hard we can help people. The last thing that we want is for the building to sit empty,” he said.
In addition to holding community dinners, the cafe has a ‘pay it forward’ scheme, allowing customers to donate money so that others can eat a meal or have a hot drink for free. This money has also been used to fund the community dinners.
“There’s people who come in every week and they always contribute. That’s a winner for us,” Mr Walker said.
Everyone who helps out at the cafe is a volunteer, and the team is a broad church in the truest sense of the phrase.
Although the Walkers themselves are involved with the church in which the cafe is located, many of the volunteers do not attend religious services, and come from a range of backgrounds. “There’s students wanting to help and also older people,” Mrs Walker said.
One church member who has been pivotal in pushing the community meal scheme forward is Owain Dexter, 29, who helped develop and distribute the vouchers.
“It’s all about kind of breaking down this barrier and connecting people. We didn’t want a place where people would have a meal and then just leave. The purpose is to serve our community in a safe and sustainable kind of way,” he said.
Mr Dexter said that everyone who helped out at the dinner “connected with people and heard their stories. It’s a tough time but it’s nice to be able to offer a bit of hope.”
And, while the cafe’s efforts to offer a helping hand to vulnerable people in Cardiff may be starting modestly, Mr Dexter believes that their charitable endeavours are only just beginning.
“We are hoping to go from strength to strength. We will have to see what the new year holds.”
