For Level Best café, 2022 is set to be an exciting new year with the relocation of the café from Culver Street East in Colchester to Rookery House on Abbeygate Street.

 

The café, run by the Dacon Trust, provides quality services to adults and young people with learning disabilities, giving them valuable training which helps them to achieve personal aims. Whether this is preparing food, creating art or working on community initiatives there are a range of interesting activities that create great opportunities for trainees. There are close links with park rangers in Castle Park, giving trainees the experience of working outside in nature. Furthermore, food for the café is grown at the allotment so it is fresh. In fact, some of the produce is used to make jams and chutneys which are for sale in the café. 

 

What the last two years has shown is the resilience of both the staff members and trainees. Back when the virus hit in 2020, the café had to close its doors. However, services were still provided online with videoed activities including how to cook apple and cinnamon cakes to gardening and art activities. According to the manager, Alison Ling, ''over the last two years we have had to remain flexible between moving our service from in-person to online at very short notice.’’ Although the indoor facilities couldn’t be used, there were outdoor opportunities to get involved on walks in local areas such as Wivenhoe . These walks helped actively educate trainees on topics such as plant and cloud types.

 

Whilst the need to socially distance means that the café is still closed to outside customers at the moment, a service is provided to make food in the café for local businesses and for takeaway.

 

Looking forward, the café hopes to open up again soon to customers as well as extending the opening hours for the art exhibitions where the public can admire and often buy the work of the trainees. The reopening comes at a time of exciting new change for Level Best as it moves to a larger, fully accessible location, which will accommodate the café, kitchen and shop area with state of the art equipment. The new building is currently being developed to provide a spacious and light area to carry out activities that bring a great sense of purpose and satisfaction into the lives of the trainees.

 

Details of the café reopening to the general public and forthcoming art exhibitions can be found on Level Best’s social media.