A COMMUNITY café in Kilbirnie is to close in the New Year as the organisation which runs it bids to "increase support" for people affected by the growing cost-of-living crisis.

The Salvation Army says it is seeking to expand its community meal programme to help those hit hardest by rising prices - but that means bringing to an end the takeaway service offered by the Blend-in Café at the George Steven Community Hub.

The centre, which last month celebrated its 40th anniversary, provides support to adults with learning disabilities.

It also supplies meals, through the café, to people who are struggling to afford food for themselves or their families.

In the last year, staff prepared and delivered more than 7,000 meals throughout the Garnock Valley area, around 1,200 of which have been given out free to people who are struggling for a variety of reasons.

But The Salvation Army says that in order to tackle the growing problem of food poverty locally, they plan to close the café after the Christmas break - which has been running as a takeaway service to the public since the outbreak of Covid.

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Joanne Graham, service manager at the George Steven Centre Community Hub, said: “The pandemic affected so many in our community. Now, people are struggling to afford to live due to rising food and energy prices.

"We want to reach out and help as many as we can.

“Through our Tuesday and Thursday community meals, we aim to provide more than food. Our deliveries have turned into welfare calls where we can check on the wellbeing of our customers."

The café was open Monday to Friday over lunchtime but The Salvation Army said it is now planning to offer cooking groups to the vulnerable adults it supports as well as families, utilising the skills of the catering team during the day instead.

The charitable organisation confirmed that regardless of this decision, there is no threat to the future of the George Steven Community Hub, adding that it is "committed to the people we support there and the local community in Kilbirnie".

Ms Graham said: “The George Steven Community Hub has been supporting people in Kilbirnie and the Garnock Valley since 1982, reflecting the dedication and commitment of The Salvation Army.

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"The decision to close the Blend-in Café has not been an easy one.

"We are so grateful to our customers who have supported it for the past 18 years.

“We’re also grateful to our staff who have worked tirelessly, especially our kitchen manager Brenda who is hanging up her apron and retiring at the end of the month.

"She is loved by customers and always makes our service users feel valued and worthwhile – all while serving up the most delicious food.”

The Salvation Army is also planning to expand its cooking programme for service users at the George Steven Community Hub. The café area has been revamped to include individual cooking stations to enable more people to take advantage of the opportunities.

For more information, visit salvationarmy.org.uk.