A NEW coffee shop which aims to be the first of its kind to put all its earnings into funding a food pantry for those in need will open next week.

We Connect coffee shop is the brainchild of Risca Covid-19 Volunteers founders Tara Holloway and Dawn Derraven and is expected to open on Monday, February 21.

Based on Tredegar Street in Risca, on the site of the former Park Avenue Coffee Shop, it’ll uniquely combine a coffee shop and a food pantry all under one roof.

The idea to find a space to set up a food pantry has been on the group’s radar for some time, Ms Holloway told the Argus on a visit to the We Connect coffee shop ahead of its opening.

South Wales Argus: Risca Covid-19 Volunteers founders Dawn Derraven (left) and Tara Holloway (right)Risca Covid-19 Volunteers founders Dawn Derraven (left) and Tara Holloway (right)

“A food pantry has always been part of our plans, it was just finding a space to do it,” she said.

“I’ve seen the need for this pantry directly through constant and at times almost heart-breaking conversations with people from all walks of life in our community.

“Over the festive period we supported Risca foodbank, as we have done since June 2020 with our ‘Tin on a Wall’ scheme, and we were shocked with how close Risca Foodbank and our own emergency foodbank came to being completely cleaned out.

“And now it’s getting harder on everyone with rising bills.”

But the idea to combine a pantry with a coffee shop is something that didn’t happen until much later on, Ms Derrevan explained.

“We were looking for a permanent space for the pantry,” she said.

“And we’d noticed that the Park Avenue Coffee Shop unit had been closed for a while after the lady who ran it retired.

South Wales Argus: It'll function as a coffee shop every weekday and run a separate food pantry service in the evenings. It'll function as a coffee shop every weekday and run a separate food pantry service in the evenings.

“The coffee shop had been there for 30 years or so, and it was in a prime position on the high street – so we knew there was definitely still a need for it and thought we could combine the two.”

The pair picked up the keys for the shop back in mid-December and have spent the last two months frantically decorating.

But the pair said they’ve received tonnes of help from their own volunteers and from locals to get the job done.

Once up and running, it’ll employ two part-time staff and be supported by a wealth of the group’s volunteers.

What’s inside Risca’s new coffee shop and pantry?

It’s a beautifully decorated space that clearly has sustainability at its core.

Food and drink will be on offer, the pair told the Argus, with all of its coffee beans sustainable, and its coffee cups compostable.

All the money from purchases is being put back into supporting the pantry side of the operation.

South Wales Argus: One of the key things about the coffee shop is its emphasis on sustainability and reducing food waste.One of the key things about the coffee shop is its emphasis on sustainability and reducing food waste.

There’s even an internet café style space equipped with a printer, which is part of the shop’s plans to offer wider community services.

We Connect will be open between 8am and 1pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and between 8am and 4pm from Wednesday to Friday.

Whereas the pantry will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays between 3pm and 6pm.

“It’s about making the pantry as accessible as possible to people, especially for working families,” Ms Holloway added.

“We wanted to keep the coffee shop and the pantry separate – we know there’s still a stigma existing around it and we want to break that down.

South Wales Argus: There's even an internet cafe inside.There's even an internet cafe inside.

“People can pay a £2 membership fee and can get 24 baskets of food for £3 each. The pantry also gives people a choice in the type of food they want.

“We’re also trying to have as little food waste as possible – we’re adopting a policy of fighting food waste one basket at a time.”

Risca Covid-19 Volunteers group has been providing crucial help for vulnerable members of the community since the pandemic began back in 2020.

The 200-strong army of volunteers continue to assist people that struggle with social isolation and help run one of the biggest food bank operations in Wales, collecting roughly 2.5 tonnes of food per collection, which is shared around different food banks across three boroughs.

If you’d like to get involved in the We Connect coffee shop or help support the pantry, you can email Weconnect@rcvuk.org or call 01633 848899.