The Garden Rooms Café in Boscombe is more than somewhere to enjoy coffee and a bite to eat. Working alongside Bournemouth Foodbank, this welcoming community space offers affordable Social Canteen meals, a Recovery Café, employment training opportunities and a Pay It Forward scheme. Discover how the café on Haviland Road is helping local people find friendship, practical support and a sense of belonging, plus how residents and businesses can get involved.
12th October 2026
Sometimes, the most valuable thing a café offers is a reason to leave the house. Somewhere to sit, share a meal and have a conversation. At The Garden Rooms Café on Haviland Road, that sense of connection is at the heart of its community work.
Based at St George’s Church Hall in Boscombe and working alongside Bournemouth Foodbank, the café brings together everyday café life with practical support for people facing hunger, isolation or a difficult chapter. Behind it are people making sure their neighbours have somewhere to turn and somewhere to feel welcome.
Friday evenings bring the Social Canteen by Bournemouth Foodbank from 5pm to 7pm. Affordable meals and community contributions help make an evening around the table possible for people who might otherwise struggle with the cost.
The food matters, but so does the company. A shared meal offers a simple opportunity to spend time with others, particularly when money worries can make socialising difficult.
The Recovery Café provides another kind of connection. Bournemouth Foodbank offers free coffee and cake for people in recovery and those supporting them on Mondays from 4pm to 6.30pm. It is a welcoming space to meet others, find encouragement and spend time in company without judgement.
Members are encouraged to help shape the café through their participation and ideas. Having somewhere to contribute, as well as somewhere to receive support, can make a community space feel like a place you belong.
The café’s Pay It Forward appeal gives neighbours a straightforward way to help. Customers can pay towards food and drinks for someone else, with tickets added to a board inside the café for anyone in need to redeem at the counter. Contributions through the online appeal are transferred to the same board.
Suggested gifts include £3 for a hot drink or a Social Canteen meal, £5 for a breakfast bap and £12 for a family meal at the canteen. A small contribution can cover something specific for another person, whether that is breakfast or a meal shared with their family.
The appeal also supports a night out. Unplugged at the Garden Rooms is an alcohol-free open mic evening on the first Friday of each month, bringing people together for live music and food. A £7 suggested donation can gift someone an evening with food, helping make socialising possible when household essentials leave little money to spare.
It recognises that music, enjoyment and company deserve a place in community support, too.
Rio is the contact for businesses interested in sponsoring a Social Canteen takeover or Unplugged evening. Sponsorship is available at £300, giving local organisations a practical way to support an evening of food and connection.
For a business looking to contribute locally, it is an opportunity to help create something neighbours can enjoy together. Enquiries can be sent to rio@bournemouth.foodbank.org.uk.
There is useful work happening behind the counter, too.The café offers kitchen and café training facilities that community projects can use to provide practical experience and develop skills for employment.
This inclusive approach supports people at risk of isolation, people with developmental difficulties and refugees. Learning in a working café offers an opportunity to gain experience, build confidence and become part of a supportive team.
For everyday visitors, there is locally roasted Bad Hand Coffee, croffles, burritos and toasties. Free Wi-Fi makes it somewhere to settle with a laptop, while bookable rooms and the option of hiring the whole café provide space for meetings, workshops and community events.
These ordinary reasons to visit help make the café part of everyday neighbourhood life, bringing different people into a shared space.
The local heroes here are the people making those different purposes fit together: the café team, the volunteers supporting Bournemouth Foodbank and the neighbours who choose to pass a little kindness on.
Visit for coffee, contribute through the Pay It Forward appeal or contact the team about room bookings and opportunities to help. Local businesses can also enquire about sponsoring a community evening.
The Garden Rooms Café is at 118 Haviland Road, Boscombe, BH7 6HW, at St George’s Church Hall. Daytime opening hours are Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 2.30pm, alongside the evening community sessions.
Before visiting for a particular session, check the café’s latest updates or contact the team to confirm the arrangements. Call 01202 394505 or email bookings@thegardenrooms.cafe.
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