Salvation Army cafe offers a taste of chic in Bellshill

A new community cafe in Bellshill is offering a taste of city centre chic to people in the local area. The Haven Cafe on Gladstone Street is run by The Salvation Army and aims to create a high-end coffee shop experience for everyone, regardless of income.

The church and charity have transformed part of their community centre into a space filled with bespoke furniture, a state-of-the-art coffee machine and chic crockery to demonstrate that people are valued by The Salvation Army regardless of their background or circumstances. 

Major Miriam Wing of The Salvation Army said: “We’re excited to be able to show the community this new space for everyone’s use, everyone is welcome here. We have invested in The Haven to make it as close to a chic, high street coffee shop as possible.

“It’ll be completely free to the community, running Monday to Friday from 10am to 12noon. We could have put some plastic chairs down and done everything on a low budget but we wanted to create something that would make feel people feel valued. Lots of people are struggling financially at the moment and we wanted to create a space where everyone can enjoy that high street coffee shop experience even if things are tight financially.

“It’s an opportunity to chat and meet friends or just relax with a newspaper or magazine. All our furniture, our cups and saucers, and the coffee machine are the best we could afford.

“We hope people from all walks of life will visit The Haven and if some people can afford to make a donation, then that’s great. We are lucky in Bellshill to have the support of so many generous people and businesses. The aim is to create a place of hope where people can come and really enjoy the space.  

“We’ll invite agencies along such as Citizens Advice, Employment Plus and substance use groups to support people if they need it. For a dementia cafe on Wednesdays, we’ll work with Alzheimer’s Scotland to provide the best possible support for people and their families.”

One customer, Helen Lilly, from Mossend, said the new cafe would be a lifeline for many people in the community who are isolated and struggling financially.

Helen said: “I’ve already spoken to a lot of people about the new cafe and how great it is. It’s warm and welcoming and the coffee I had today is one of the nicest I’ve tasted. The Salvation Army in Bellshill is a focal point for so many people in Bellshill with the likes of its lunch club and support for parents and toddlers. The Haven Cafe is just another thing The Salvation Army is doing to help people who need a hand.”               

Major Fiona Partland, divisional mission officer, opened the cafe and shared Scripture from Romans 15:13, saying: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“This cafe is a place for people in the local community and the church to me each other to receive joy and hope as well as a place where partner agencies can meet together and share news over a cuppa.”