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Little Lights Café: Brewing Hope for the Future

At Little Lights CIC, we dream of a community café where young people can learn, grow, feel supported and build skills for a brighter future. While we do not yet have a physical café, our programme is already alive through pop-up events, community markets, hands-on workshops, food collaborations and youth training activities across Birmingham.

The Little Lights Café will be much more than a place to enjoy a warm drink — it will be a safe learning hub, a training space, a source of nutritious meals and a stepping stone toward employment and stability for vulnerable young people.

What Will Make Our Café Special?

Once we secure a permanent space, our café will offer a range of community workshops and youth training opportunities designed to empower, uplift and inspire:

• Barista Skills – From espresso basics to latte art and customer service.
• Baking & Sourdough – Hands-on learning in pastries, sourdough, and artisan bread.
• Customer Service – Confidence-building and employability skills.
• Youth Entrepreneurship – How to start your own micro-business or community project.
• Natural Products – Workshops on kefir, kombucha, natural soaps and wellbeing goods.

Why a Café?

We believe in sustainable change. Grants are vital — but long-term stability requires a space that can generate social impact while contributing to our financial sustainability. The Little Lights Café will allow us to fund our programmes while offering:

• Nutritious, affordable meals for children and families
• A safe, welcoming community hub
• Training opportunities for employment
• Educational and wellbeing resources

But we’re not waiting to begin — our pop-ups and collaborations already support local families and equip young people with meaningful, confidence-building experiences.

A Training Ground for the Future

For many young people, lack of experience is the biggest barrier to employment. The Little Lights Café will change that by offering:

• Hands-on barista and hospitality training
• Real work experience in a supportive environment
• Life skills workshops for confidence and independence
• Personal mentorship and career guidance

How You Can Make a Difference

By supporting our café initiative — even before it opens — you are helping us build a space that will transform lives. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Attend our pop-up events – Every purchase supports our training programmes.
• Sponsor a trainee – Help a young person gain skills and experience.
• Partner with us – Collaborate to expand opportunities for young people.
• Donate – Help us secure and prepare our future café space.
• Share our mission – Help us reach more families and supporters.

Why It Matters

These workshops and programmes aren’t just educational — they change lives. Young people gain real skills, a sense of purpose, confidence and pathways into work or self-employment.

We are also committed to eco-conscious practices, from reducing food waste to encouraging sustainable, plant-based options and mindful production.

Join Us

Whether through a workshop, a pop-up café, a collaboration or a donation — your support helps build a brighter, stronger Birmingham for children and young people.

Together, we’re brewing opportunity, hope and community — one cup at a time.