David Davis opens coffee shop in Anlaby Park Methodist Church

As published in the Hull Daily Mail:
Warm welcome at new café;
ANLABY: Latest addition to church facilities aims to bring village community together

In Short A new coffee shop has opened as an extension to Anlaby Park Methodist Church. The new facility was opened by MP David Davis.

A NEW £326,000 coffee shop has opened in a bid to boost community services in Anlaby.

The £326,000 facility has been built as an extension to Anlaby Park Methodist Church and was officially opened by Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis this weekend.

Called Ignition Coffee, the café is the latest development in Anlaby Park’s ambitious Ignition Project.

Those behind the project are bidding to expand the activities and services at the church premises.

The coffee shop sits within the extension to the front of the church, which organisers feel creates a welcoming and self-contained venue.

The aim is for community groups to use the coffee shop for meetings, events and activities as well as a place to enjoy a coffee.

Although attached to the church, the café is open to all groups.

Ignition executive chairman Steve Saunders is delighted with the new facility.

He said: “The new extension will make a vital contribution to our Ignition Project’s goal of improving the social environment of Anlaby and surrounding area.

“The idea of the extension arose because we did not have enough space for new activities.

“It will enhance the existing the space and will permit new community activities for all ages to take place.

“We are very grateful to all those who have contributed to bring this construction phase into being.”

After cutting the ribbon to open the new coffee shop, David Davis MP gave his backing to the new facility.

He said: “It’s great to see the church meeting the needs of the community in this way. I wish every success to Ignition Coffee and to services delivered together with it.”

Architects Ingleby and Hobson designed the development, which was constructed by Brian Fell of Leven.

Funding came from a mixture of grants from bodies, including the Landfill Communities Fund by Wren and The Veolia Environmental Trust.

Cash has also come from the Methodist Church, The Rank Foundation and the fundraising efforts of church members. Follow us on Twitter @HULLDAILYMAIL Project is focused on more activities THOSE behind the Ignition project are focused primarily on the community.

A community survey carried out by the group showed there are great needs among those people who live in the village, but there is no community centre from where activities could be co-ordinated.

While Anlaby Park Methodist Church is already a busy place, Ignition believes the building can still be put to better use.

The group is now implementing a number of ideas in a bid to reach out beyond churchgoers and those people who already use the facilities.

In addition to the established “Live at Home Scheme”, which encourages older people to take an active part in the communities in which they live, the church has also launched a new Christians Against Poverty debt counselling centre. The church also has ambitions to host a wider range of groups and activities such as advocacy schemes.