Cool Café¹A church-run social eating initiative that runs a number of surplus food-based and community services from a church. They have a mixture of paid staff and volunteers.

Located in a deprived, inner city and predominantly black and ethnic minority area in the East Midlands, this social eating space runs a weekly free food parcel and a paid- for social eating service. It also runs art classes, cooking sessions and church-based social activities.

It offers a mixture of ethnic and traditional UK cuisines from a church hall space where a £2 lunch is served in a well-lit, open hall with greeters and volunteers who help to serve food and manage diners. Diners queue at a hatch and serve themselves with extra food stuffs from a side table.

The lunch offer attracts a diverse array of around 30 customers including students, local residents, food bank attendees, the church congregation and members of a local arts hub.

Orange Café

A charity-run social eating initiative that runs a community meal service but also provides surplus catering to a number of other community activities such as children’s holiday clubs.

They have a mixture of paid staff and volunteers.

Located in a small church on a side street in a predominantly white, deprived, ex-mining village in the East Midlands.

The café has revivified a church hall space that was due to close because of dwindling church attendance. A food bank runs from the same space on different days and the space is used for community and family engagement activities, often during holidays.

A small but busy kitchen serves a free weekly soup made from surplus alongside a £2.50 two or three-course meal which volunteers serve to diners at the table.

There is a fruit and veg ‘stall’ at the side of the space where customers can leave a donation and take fresh foods.

The organisation is planning to open a community pantry.

Volunteer greeters welcome around 30 diners each week, predominantly white families, elders and a few lone male diners.

Participate Community Centre

Located in a small residential area, adjunct to a large council estate in the south of a city in the East Midlands area.

The social eating initiative is run by a local community group with a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. The borough is a predominantly white, working- class area and this is reflected in the make-up of the diners.

The café offers a weekly, served at the table meal, as well as a pay-as- you-feel food shop.

Staffed by a team of long-standing, dedicated volunteers, this social eating space primarily caters for families and elders.

The community centre has engaged widely with local supermarkets and food retailers to augment their FareShare delivery to produce a three-course meal each Friday lunchtime.

The café serves traditional meals at lunch time for £3 and £1.75 for children. Within the community centre, a friendship group also operates in the same venue at the same time to encourage isolated people to socialise

Approximately 55-60 people come for a meal each week at this social eating venue. Diners are predominantly white with a mix of elders and families with young children. Many elders travel in with carers or relatives. A number of diners are disabled or have mental health issues.