YMCA to open coffee shop in Erdington

‘Eden, more than coffee’ is located within the new Chris Bryant Centre, on Reservoir Road and will be open for both YMCA Birmingham residents and members of the local community. To celebrate launch day, each order placed will also receive a free muffin.

The bright and brand new venue seats 40 people, and provides freshly ground coffee sourced directly from a fair trade roaster. It will offer a selection of coffees, teas along with pastries and cakes, and paninis, toasties and sandwiches.

The new coffee shop will run as a social enterprise for YMCA Birmingham, with money taken being ploughed back into the charity to continue to provide support and accommodation for young people needing affordable accommodation and employability skills training. Already, they have one resident employed and others are interested in volunteering as well.

Three additional volunteers are lined up to get involved from the local community, one of whom has attended a YMCA Birmingham LEA@P programme – helping lone parents skill up for work.

Laurence Chilver, social enterprise director at YMCA Birmingham says:

eden is looking fantastic and we’re really excited to open the doors to the public! YMCA Birmingham aims to be part of the social fabric – and a coffee shop is an ideal place for people to meet. We are looking forward to it being a great hub situated just off the Erdington high street.

We’re intending to provide barista training to residents to give them work opportunities both voluntary and paid.

‘Eden, more than coffee’ is part of the newly completed Chris Bryant Centre which also houses a community sports hall and conferencing facilities, next to a 34 new flat complex – The Vineyard – for young people. It stands next to The Orchard, the existing accommodation facility which offers supported flats for young people as well as nursery.