Our Horton Community Cafes, which run in Selby and Craven, have picked up a prestigious national housing award. The cafes won the ‘Support and Care Team of the Year, under 8,000 stock’ category at the Housing Heroes Awards, which are organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing magazine. Horton Community Cafes aim to improve the lives of adults who have mental health issues or who are at risk of or experiencing social isolation. Informal learning sessions and activities help clients increase their confidence, develop skills and access volunteering and employment opportunities. The cafes are an early intervention and prevention service that help to stop problems escalating and reaching crisis level. They reduce reliance on other expensive statutory services including emergency services. Hannah Brown, scheme manager, said: “This…

Horton’s Community Cafés have been shortlisted for the ‘Support and Care Team of the Year’ category in the National Housing Heroes Awards 2017. The cafés run by Horton Housing Association, are held weekly in community venues across the Selby and Craven districts of North Yorkshire. The cafés offer a safe, friendly and supportive environment for those who are experiencing or at risk of social isolation, loneliness and mental health issues. They provide informal learning sessions and activities to help clients increase their confidence, develop skills, build social networks and access to volunteering, training and employment opportunities. The cafés are also for those wanting to make new friends and build links in their local community. The team involved in running the cafés consists of Community Development Workers, Paul Halmshaw in Selby…