Foyle Family Justice Centre’s new social enterprise Café Central open for business

Foyle Family Justice Centre (FFJC) has launched its new social enterprise café and training academy, Café Central in Bishop Street, Derry.

The 40-seater café is a key development of the centre and one of many more that will be delivered within the centre.

Income generated from the café will profit shed back to Foyle Women’s Aid, who have received almost 1,000 referrals this year.

It will also offer a supportive process of training and employment opportunities to local women and young people.

Speaking at the launch, Marie Brown, Chief Executive of Foyle Women’s Aid and the FFJC said: “After seven years of planning, it is wonderful to see Café Central open today.

“The Café symbolises so much more than just somewhere great to grab coffee or lunch.

“Café Central will empower women back into economic independence through training and mentoring, something we particularly want to celebrate around International Women’s Day.

"The space will also be used to host a hospitality training academy, for return-to-work schemes, through a partnership between Foyle Women’s Aid and Derry City Council.

“Meanwhile, Dress for Success NI will offer on-site programmes such as confidence building, and the space will also be used to host year-round events including a chatty café to increase opportunities for socialising and making new connections and friends.

“Foyle Family Justice Centre provides individuals and families experiencing domestic abuse support from onsite and offsite agencies and access to assistance programmes.

“The centre is a unique model of service provision planned not only to bring public and charitable agencies and other organisations together but to commit to collaborative onsite services. It provides a holistic, accessible service, to every family where violence or abuse is reported.

“The central ethos of the Family Justice Centre is to tackle social injustice, poverty and inequality which is why this café is so important to us and will serve many functions to enhance our objectives and service users’ experiences.”

Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons said: “It is wonderful to see this new facility officially open as a support for the important work of the Foyle Family Justice Centre.

“The establishment of the café as a social enterprise to create an income stream for the centre is testament to the innovation and creativity demonstrated time and again by Foyle Women’s Aid and the Foyle Family Justice Centre.

“I extend every best wish to the leadership and staff and of course to the many individuals and families experiencing domestic abuse, who will benefit from Café Central.”

CEO of LandAid Paul Morrish, the property industry charity, who part funded the project, said: “We’re excited to see the hard work of the team at Foyle Women’s Aid and the Foyle Family Justice Centre, come to fruition and are pleased to have contributed to the development of Café Central.

“We understand the importance of giving women in the local community the foundations to live independently and thrive in their next steps.”

PICTURE ABOVE: Patricia Breslin, Foyle Women’s Aid, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Patricia Logue, Marie Brown, Chief Executive of Foyle Women’s Aid and the Foyle Family Justice Centre and District Judge Barney McElholm.