Projects
Highway Hope secures Key Fund investment to develop community café
Key Fund Investment 2023 secured a £19,200 loan and £5,800 grant to develop the Highway Hope community café, recognising Dr Esther Oludipe’s work in developing social enterprises.
The Community Café & Social Hub
Highway Hope Community Café is often referred to as the “Cup of Hope.” The Community café serves as a social hub to improve the health and well-being of local residents, offering nutritious, affordable, or free meals.
It also host activities such as social nights with meals, guest speakers, and acts as a safe, welcoming space for the community and a way to combat social isolation.
In 2023, the Key Fund provided a £19,200 loan and a £5,800 grant to help develop the café into a more sustainable commercial social enterprise, the Cup of Hope.
Says Dr Esther Oludipe,
“If I have the opportunity to do something, and if I can find people who can help do it, I just need to empower it.”
Highway Hope Social Enterprising ventures beyond The Community Café
Highway Hope provides a wide range of services beyond the café, including:
- A discount Food Store that offers affordable food to tackle food insecurity.
- A Charity Shop that sells items to support the charity work, with hours listed Monday to Friday, 10 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 5 pm.
- Education & Training: HIghway Hope runs many educational programmes including music schools, coding sessions, IT clubs, and educational programmes for young people and adults.
- Support Services: Highway Hope provides a re-use furniture store, a gardening project (teaching people to grow their own veg), and a beauty salon, particularly focusing on ethnic minorities.
- Youth Engagement: Over 150 young people aged 8-18 use Highway Hope services weekly, including music production and film-making workshops.