Cafe Manager
We're delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Rachel Woodhouse as our Community Cafe Manager. Rachel has always been involved in community life through longstanding family and faith commitment. Rachel is a qualified primary school teacher and has worked in schools across sixteen years in various roles. Times away from teaching have included community and home-based service.
In 2015 Rachel was involved in a community cafe project on The Bridge Development in Dartford, leading the No.3 Coffee House for almost three years. During that time, it hosted lots of community events to bless, cater and serve the local community.
Many great conversations were had, and lots of fantastic coffees, cakes, and sandwiches were consumed! The venue was a welcoming and safe place within a new housing development where people knew they would find hospitality and a listening ear and support where needed.
Recently Rachel has been working at a new school in Ebbsfleet Valley, mainly supporting some of the most vulnerable children, made even more challenging over the past couple of years. In the past few months, she has experienced a renewed sense of God's calling to step out of a familiar role and into something new. This post caught her eye and seemed to be the right opportunity through which to respond. Rachel is looking forward to using and building upon previous experience to see where God leads in this exciting new project.
Rachel will work alongside two other core staff members and a wider team of great volunteers to offer and develop a long-term good news story in our community. Rachel is married to Bart, has three teenage children and a lively labradoodle puppy! She enjoys walking, working out, reading, baking, eating and exploring new places. Rachel is looking forward to creating a friendly and welcoming cafe venue, offering great food and drink, providing new space for the community to come to and be part of!
Mr Martin Andrews, the Chair of Directors for Next Door Hextable, writes: "Progress to the opening of the community cafe at Next Door Hextable gathers pace with the magnificent landscaping and planting. We are grateful to all who have contributed. With final snagging, we are confident of opening in late March, having agreed to this key staffing addition to overseeing the smooth running of the venue.”
Mr Josh Brown our coffee & hospitality lead says: "As the cafe's nearing completion, it's great to have Rachel on board. Her enthusiasm for the project and experience in hospitality will be a key part of this exciting launch - soon!"
Rachel is contactable by email at cafe@stph.org.uk