Crowdfunder launched to create outdoor seated area at Ironbridge cafe
A cafe in Ironbridge is crowdfunding to ensure its survival over winter by installing covers on its outside seating area.
The Green Wood Cafe, in the historic town of Ironbridge, has launched a vital crowdfunder to help support the business as it goes into winter months following the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
A family run business, The Green Wood Cafe is tucked away in the woodlands at Dale End, and provides a wide array of drinks and food with indoor and outdoor seating.
However, due to social distancing guidelines and safety measures, the cafe has had to stop seating people indoors and so wants to install covers at its main outdoor seating area to ensure they can open throughout the winter months.
A spokesperson for the Green Wood cafe said: "As a family we've poured our heart and soul into our coffeeshop over the last four years here in The Ironbridge Gorge woodlands and we're desperate to keep going. We closed for five months at the beginning of the pandemic to try and rework our business to operate safely for the future and we've managed to reopen, but we're all out of funds to invest further.
"We’re running on reduced capacity whilst we maintain two metre social distancing on site as required by our Covid-safe measures, consequently we don’t have any seating inside the coffee shop or on our terrace as these areas are just too small. Most of our seating is now outside amongst the apple trees and it’s this area that we want to get covered and make cosy for those cooler, wetter days. In the meantime, thank you to Small Woods who’ve temporarily allowed us some indoor seating, next door to us, in their Woodland Hall.
"The extent and style of the covered seating area will depend on how much we raise, of course we want to create as much winter seating as we possibly can. Heating would be ideal too so we can get back to doing our Street Food Evenings. We'll also be consulting with our landlords, and site management, Small Woods Association, to ensure whatever we do is in keeping with the value and aesthetic of the eco green wood centre in which we reside."
Nearly 50 per cent of the target £3,000 has been raised by generous supporters but there is still a way to go.
Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/keep-the-green-wood-caf-open-with-covered-seating#start to donate.
