Training for Volunteers thanks to The London School of Coffee
Nourish Hub values everyone who chooses to share their spare time volunteering. Over the past two years, Andreea Rizea, Deputy Hub manager, has explored opportunities to enrich our opportunities, by offering training that enables volunteers to develop skills for pleasure, or to upskill for future employment opportunities.
One such collaboration has been through The London School of Coffee. Having opened their doors in 2002, The London School of Coffee was the first educational facility in the UK to offer a range of courses encouraging sustainable coffee purchasing and consumption. Thanks to the generosity of Gayle Reed, School Manager, Nourish Hub has received 60kg of donated coffee and 20 members of the volunteer and staff team have completed the Beginners Course in Coffee Preparation, which has provided opportunities to develop coffee skills, whilst ensuring Nourish Hub has the best possible barista coffees for sale!
“The London School of Coffee was first approached by Nourish Hub approximately two and a half years ago, while we were still based in Fulham. The gentleman who visited us was deeply passionate about the Hub’s mission to support the local community, and his enthusiasm was contagious. It was clear that Nourish Hub would be a wonderful space for all ages, fostering a sense of togetherness and community, and we were eager to offer our support in any way we could.” shares Gayle.
The beginner’s course has been offered to the Nourish Hub’s volunteers and those interested have taken part. A regular front of house volunteer, Alex, shared that “not only did I enjoy the course, but I benefited, not just in learning how to make and use Barista coffee machines, but I learned many new facts about the origin, culture and history of Coffee. This benefit came at the right time, as I am in the process of not only importing and exporting coffee from Ethiopia and Kenya, but also helping to open a coffee shop in North London.”
Gayle also told us that “As a specialty coffee business with over 20 years of experience, we train individuals in all aspects of the coffee industry. This presented us with a unique opportunity to assist Nourish Hub by extending our training programs to help with their coffee preparation, equipping them with the skills necessary to become baristas and, hopefully, inspiring them to develop a deeper appreciation for the coffee industry.”
Michael, a volunteer, took part in the course earlier this year and shared, “The key outtake for me that I have been able to bring back to Nourish Hub is how to dial in a shot of espresso which has been really useful trying it on our machine. Also learning how to properly clean the machine and accessories is also very valuable as that way you can make the best tasting coffee and have the equipment and the accessories last longer.”
“Collaborating with Nourish Hub has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Everyone we have worked with shares a genuine passion for their work, and it’s been a pleasure to support an initiative so dedicated to positive community impact. Supporting social enterprise schemes is something we prioritize, and we are proud to maintain an ongoing partnership with Nourish Hub.”
The collaboration between Nourish Hub, Gayle and the team at The London School of Coffee is something that we are incredibly proud of, and hope that we can continue working together into the future.
If you or your organisation are interested in collaborating with Nourish Hub, please get in touch via info@nourishhub.org.uk.
