Community Coffee Shop Reaches Major Fundraising Milestone

A local coffee shop, recognized for serving “the best cheese scones in Somerset,” is commemorating a significant achievement in its 18-year history. The team at the café, located in North Curry, near Taunton, operates entirely through volunteers and has contributed to over 175 charitable organizations, all selected by its personnel. They are celebrating having raised more than £250,000 for these charities. “Everyone earns points for the hours they work and then every six months we allocate the profits to their chosen charities,” stated manager Penny Ross. The North Curry Community Coffee Shop is situated in the heart of the village within a historically restored stable, a building that also accommodates the local archives. Ms. Ross mentioned that since its establishment in May 2006 as a non-profit enterprise, the café has fostered connections among communities in nearby villages and attracted consistent patrons. “Our cyclists say we have the best cheese scones in Somerset,” Ms Ross informed BBC Radio Somerset. She further noted, “We also do hot food and sandwiches, so there’s something for everyone.” Love Musgrove, the organization responsible for fundraising for Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, commented: “Our donation and continued support enables us to continue to improve the experience of patients.” Dementia UK, among the beneficiaries, stated that the contribution would assist in funding specialist Admiral Nurses. “It’s really only thanks to all our wonderful volunteers and our amazing customers who support us. We have no staff costs so we can keep our prices low and donate all our profits to charities and local good causes,” Ms Ross stated. She further added, “We are always looking for new volunteers for working in the coffee shop, baking cakes behind the counter, shopping or doing all the back office stuff as well.” Readers can follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.