A NOT-for-profit café set up to support survivors of abuse will close at the end of this week – as the team behind it revealed that growing demand for support services has made its current model unsustainable.
The Butterfly Café, which opened in 2023 with a £155,000 Government grant, was founded by campaigner Cheyenne O’Connor to provide job training and employment for abuse survivors, while acting as a community drop-in for wider support services.
But it was confirmed on Tuesday that the café will close at the end of this week because the team said it was no longer possible to run a hospitality business alongside its increasing support work.
Speaking to the JEP, Ms O’Connor said: “The reason for closure is due to the fact we are currently supporting so many adults and children and working 40 hours in the cafe and up to 60-70 hours in the evenings, much of the time being out all night and unfortunately that has taken a huge toll on all staff.
“We cannot afford to take on more staff, but we are in desperate need of more staff.”
She added: “The café has served its purpose, which was to open and thrive as a drop-in service to build support, and we have more than achieved this.
“The costs that come with running any business are ridiculously high, and we do not want to jeopardise the support work, so the decision was made to close the part that seems less needed, such as coffee making and serving.”
The team, operating under the name The Butterfly Effect, has said support services will continue and has applied for charitable status.
It also said it was “not ruling out the possibility of opening a new space in the future”.
