A Kilbirnie community cafe is serving up coffee and lunch with a conscience.

The Blend-In Cafe at the Salvation Army’s George Steven Centre is a not-for-profit social enterprise open to the public which doubles as a training space for adults with learning disabilities.

Harry Wylie, from Beith, is one service user who benefits from being part of the cafe team. His mum Jean said: “Harry loves the cafe and really enjoys his work. It has made such a difference to his life. I never thought he would do anything like this. It’s made him more outgoing and sociable.”

Centre manager Joanne Graham said: “When you come into the Blend-In Cafe, you’re doing more than just buying your lunch. The funds raised helps keep this vital resource in place and creates more opportunities for vulnerable people.

“The majority of our service users get the chance to work in the cafe and it lets them know that they can contribute to society, given the right support.”

Customer Evelyn Fleming said: “It’s a pleasure to come here and have lunch. We’re usually in a couple of times a week and the staff and service users are always so welcoming.

“The food is delicious and it’s great to see the service users develop as they spend more time doing their day-to-day duties.”

The cafe, run by the dedicated team of Brenda Biggar, Nicola Jordan and Anne–Marie Hughes, is open every weekday, 9am- 3pm.