A cafe with a difference has opened up in Hull Road Park

LUXURY hot chocolate, teas and coffees, homemade soup, burgers and bacon butties are all on the menu at a little-known cafe in the middle of Hull Road Park in York.

The cafe, in a temporary building next to the tennis courts and play park, is run by Choose2Youth – a local organisation that offers indoor and outdoor programmes for children, young people and adults with disabilities and additional needs in York.

It's a cold, bright winter's day, and my walk from The Press office in Walmgate to the cafe has left me in need of something to warm me up.

I am greeted by friendly smiles from cafe supervisor Michelle Musgrove and Matthew Stevens, who is helping out today.

Matthew is 25 and has Down's Syndrome. He attends various sessions run by Choose2Youth and seems to like working in the cafe.

I ask for a decaf coffee, which he attends to straight away, and diligently takes my payment, giving me back my change – all the while supervised by Michelle.

Later, two regulars come in during their lunch break. John McKeon and Tim Smith settle at a table in the bright cafe and warm themselves up with a cup of tea before tucking into some food prepared by Matthew and Michelle – a cheese toastie for John and a cheeseburger for John.

Tim said: "When we work round here, if we get the chance, we like to come in and support these guys. The bacon sandwiches are really good, as are the cheese toasties – and it's great value."

Hot drinks are £1, bacon sandwiches are £2, cheese toasties £1 and a bowl of homemade soup is £1.50 or £2 with a bread roll. Cakes and cookies are available too, alongside a selection of other hot food – all at keen prices.

The next customers are a young dad and toddler – straight from the park – who sit down to enjoy a hot chocolate and scone.

There are some children's toys and books in one corner to keep little ones amused and a bookcase full of paperbacks for people to help themselves to as part of a "book share library".

The cafe launched in the summer and is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm, but hopes to extend these hours. It also provides catering for events and the space is available to hire – for parties, meetings or yoga/fitness classes.

Matthew is just one of many young people with additional needs who work at the cafe.

Choose2Youth founder and director Steve Rouse says one of its aims is to give young people like Matthew the opportunity to learn key employment and living skills in a realistic workplace environment.

The organisation was set up four years ago as a not-for-profit social enterprise to deliver personal and social development activities for young people with special needs in York and North Yorkshire. Besides running youth clubs and holiday clubs, it offers social events and volunteering opportunities. It also organises an inclusive Duke of Edinburgh group specifically for young people with disabilities and additional needs. Choose2Youth also puts on a range of outdoor and indoor activities for their participants, including hydrotherapy, cross-fit and rebounding (low-impact trampolining).

Setting up the cafe was a new venture. Ultimately, says Steve, he hopes it may lead to some of the young people securing jobs in York's bustling restaurant and cafe scene.

He said: "York is a tourist city and there is a massive amount of catering opportunities and jobs in the city. It's early days – we have just started." To this end, some Choose2Youth participants might take their Level 1 Hygiene qualification, said Steve.

The cafe is just one of the organisation's ventures designed to broaden the horizons of young people with disabilities in the city and build their social skills and confidence. Volunteering is actively encouraged. During my visit, while Matthew was busy in the kitchen, a team of other young people from Choose2Youth were picking litter in the park. They were helping out with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), which invites people to take part in "green space volunteering opportunities" every Thursday from 10.30am-2pm in term time.

Meanwhile Steve and the team are making plans to extend the cafe's hours and open at weekends in the summer. It's a great experience not just for people like Matthew, says Steve, but customers too. "You can feel you are supporting young people with disabilities and additional needs to have a genuine work experience and to interact with the public."

And the food and drink is decently priced and tasty too.

Find out more online at choose2youth.co.uk, follow on Facebook: choose2youth and twitter: @choose2_youth