A CAFE that faced months of uncertainty after a sinkhole opened in a nearby road has been given a donation by one of Wokingham’s building societies.
The Kimel Cafe in Evendons saw its trade suffer when a sewer collapsed during Thames Water works.
Subsequent road closures saw a one-way traffic system in place and a lack of passing traffic, placing in doubt the future of the venue, which helps give work experience to autistic people.
Nic Lander, the cafe’s owner, said they had lost around £8,000-worth of trade as a result.
Staff at Newbury Building Society gave the cafe £1,000 from its community support scheme.
“This money from Newbury Building Society will help us to pay the 17 young people we have working for us,” Mr Lander said.
“It’s great to volunteer, but they need money coming into their bank accounts, they need a sense of purpose and to feel belonging like everyone else.
“It is a welcome relief to be able to pay these young people their wages.”
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The experience gained at the café allows the trainees to build their confidence and skills, acting as a stepping stone to mainstream employment.
”We started the café because I have three neurodivergent daughters and when I looked at what provisions were out there for them for when they were ready for work, what was there didn’t seem fit for purpose, so we set up the Kimel Foundation to help youngsters get into work,” Mr Lander said.
“So far, our success rate is 84%, where the national average is just 16%.”
And the team from Newbury Building Society, which has a branch on Broad Street, were delighted to help.
Justine Ransom, its branch manager, said: “I saw in the press about the problems that the sinkhole and traffic diversions had caused and the impact that this had had on the café.
“I contacted Nic about our Community Support Scheme and he immediately applied.
“I was absolutely delighted that Newbury were able to support Kimel Café and the incredibly important work they do with young neurodivergent people in the area.”
Applications for the next round of the Society’s Community Support Scheme close on Friday, April 28.
