Clent Connect From our community café and shop to the wider activities we offer, Clent Connect is all about bringing people together and helping everyone feel a little more connected. Everything we do is made possible by the time, care and generosity of our dedicated team volunteers and staff, whose commitment keeps things running and creates such a warm, welcoming and inclusive space for the whole community to enjoy.
Meet Carol…
Carol is one of our a widely beloved and dedicated Café Leads. She was recently recognised as a COMMUNITY CHAMPION – an award celebrating our volunteers who bring people together, strengthen social connections, and help reduce isolation.
Carol began volunteering around four years ago, following the COVID period, when Clent Connect first inspired many local residents to get more involved in the community.
For Carol, volunteering has been as rewarding personally as it has been for others:
“It’s lovely to see people in the village – everyone’s happy when they come here. You end up chatting to people you might only have seen in passing before, and now you properly get to know them. I wouldn’t want to give that up.”
A regular on Wednesdays and many Saturdays, Carol has also discovered a love of baking through her role:
“The cheese scones are probably the most popular thing we do, but I love making ginger cake and bara brith. There’s always a great variety; apple pies, Victoria sponge, chocolate cake… everyone brings their own ideas.”
Stories like Carol’s are at the heart of Clent Connect. Our volunteers don’t just keep things running, they help create a warm, welcoming space that the whole community can enjoy.