Summer 2025 brought along another big improvement, with a new kitchen for the new Care for Cleveleys Shop. Thanks in no small part to funding from the Eric Wright Charitable Trust.
A New Kitchen for the New Care for Cleveleys Shop
When volunteers took possession of the premises in April 2025 it had one sink cupboard and one wall cupboard. With often a dozen people in there at the same time, and often many more, the space just wasn’t adequate. The large ground floor community room is also used for all manner of purposes. For meetings, events and activities, which often mean that 30 brews are needed at once. That’s a lot of crockery and equipment to store!
On top of the lack of space and storage, there was also a rather horrible and very persistent smell! On both viewings (in December and February) the trap under the sink was seen to be leaking – into an overflowing bowl of water in the cupboard! Obviously this had permeated into all of the wood – made worse by the odour of a wringing wet tea towel found festering under the cupboard itself! Try as they might, that smell just would not go!
Creating a more suitable kitchen space was always seen as a priority. The bigger priority is of course the retail space and other functioning rooms. Renovations throughout have worked back into the community room – so it’s mostly been a tip! But with the shop open it was now time to tick of this priority task.
Welcome Funding
However, as we all know, kitchens aren’t cheap!
Costs were kept to an absolute minimum – the sink itself was a gift from the Hidey Hole (an accidental purchase!) The cost of the fridge was also covered with a donation from Derek Littlewood. The splashback is acrylic panel – not expensive-to-buy individual tiles.
Care for Cleveleys was also delighted to be successful with a funding application to cover a substantial part of the cost. Grateful thanks go to LACVS LOCAL Project, BPRCVS, VCBWF and Eric Wright Charitable Trust for the £1000 grant. The balance was paid by an anonymous donor.
Volunteer Labour
With a large pool of regular volunteers to call on, the group wasn’t short of builders! A group of people with all kinds of skills set about taking the old kitchen out and replacing it with new. Carcasses were built, doors fitted, gaps infilled and plinths added. With a splashback added the job is now complete.
A New Kitchen for the New Care for Cleveleys Shop
Now there is enough space to make drinks for volunteers and meeting attendees. There’s also room for washing bric-a-brac and ornaments which people have donated. Someone can stand at the sink while someone else gets cups out of the cupboard.
There’s also enough space to put everything away! Cups and mugs, water jugs and hot water flasks. Plates, plastic bags and of course, the biscuits!
If you could enjoy being part of a team that tackles jobs like this why don’t you get involved? There’s always something on the go and construction to be done. Just follow the Care for Cleveleys Facebook group for details of what’s coming up next.