Carpenters Café was one of only 13 London organisations to receive the award and the only winner in Newham.

By Aidan White

Samantha White (left) and Tee Fabikun – the leaders of Carpenters volunteer force ©Andrew Baker

The work of the volunteer community on the Carpenters Estate in Stratford has won a royal seal of approval with a special award from the King.

The Carpenters Café, an open-door food-bank, training hub and drop-in centre for people in need, has received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE for volunteer groups.

Tee Fabikun, the organiser and manager of the café which operates out of the former Tenant’s Management Organisation building on the estate, was delighted. “I’m surprised but very happy about this,” she told Newham Voices, “it’s a particularly important tribute to all our volunteers who give up their time and have made such a success of the café.”

The café has proved to be a lifesaver for hundreds of needy people since it opened its doors in 2007. There are some ten regular volunteers who provide a range of support services.

“Around 40 to 50 people will come on a quiet day,” said one volunteer.

As well as the regular food bank packages, the café provides targeted support and urgent assistance to vulnerable groups.

This includes providing “starter boxes” for people, many of them youngsters, who are just released from prison. Working with the probation service the café helps them get back on their feet, providing not just food and clothes but a safe route back
into society.

There is also special support for the homeless and people living in sheltered accommodation.

In recent weeks the café has also launched a programme of targeted training for women, many of them the victims of
domestic violence.

This training, using state of the art computer equipment, gives women a chance to learn basic computing skills that will improve their job prospects and help them make a fresh start.

The award to Carpenters Café is the first issued in the name of His Majesty King Charles III. It was first established in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and is equivalent to an MBE, and the highest honour awarded to voluntary groups in recognition of outstanding community service.

Carpenters Café was one of only 13 London organisations to receive the award and the only winner in Newham. Altogether 226 groups in Britain have been recognised.

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