Deaf cafe set to open in Brighton next week

A new Deaf cafe is set to open in Brighton on 5th September (all being well), with staff who can sign. The cafe will also run BSL courses and run other courses in BSL.

The cafe is being run on a not-for-profit basis and they are raising money for equipment (see the fundraising page here).

The team behind Dottie’s Cafe recently won the bid on the cafe, which is in East Brighton Park, and are now set to rebrand the cafe, offering the local Deaf community a new meeting place where they can communicate in their first language.

Holly, a member of the team, told us that Dottie’s Cafe will be:

• Providing high quality, delicious food and drink for local people and visitors whilst looking at ways to address food poverty and reduce food waste within the city. ‘Pop Up Chef’ evenings will provide a space for a variety of foods and tastes to be celebrated at Dottie’s.
• A Deaf Cafe where the staff sign, Deaf people have full access and work experience opportunities and customers can order in BSL. We will also be running BSL courses and running courses such as Driving Theory, English and Computing Skills in BSL.
• A hub for children educated outside of school and their families with specific sessions provided in English, Maths, Art, etc. for all ages. Cupcake Shake , the business run by young teens, will have an outlet within Dottie’s which will provide safe work experience opportunities for teenagers. Staff will be DBS checked. Information and advice will be available for new home educators looking to connect with others outside of school.
• A welcoming place for all visitors, providing English as a second language tutoring sessions for refugees and anyone wanting to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills. Dottie’s will welcome volunteers with additional needs and will have a support worker available daily to ensure everyone is included and supported.
• Accessible for all. The building will be improved to provide wheelchair and pushchair access, an additional room will be installed as a standalone accessible/all-genders toilet. Braille menus will be provided. Community groups will be encouraged to use the space for meet ups and get-togethers. Well behaved dogs will be welcomed inside. Our aim is for Dottie’s Cafe to be the ‘in crowd’ that everyone is welcome to be ‘in’.

If you’re in the area, make sure you pop along and try it out!

Go to the fundraising page for Dottie’s Cafe here.

You can find out when the cafe is opening on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DottiesEastBrightonParkCafe/ and follow the cafe on Twitter: @DottiesCafe