An Aberdeenshire cafe which employs adults with learning difficulties has launched a campaign to raise £250,000 to expand.
Flycup Catering in Inverurie needs to raise the cash by January to buy a new facility, which would provide further training opportunities.
The charity rents a building on Blackhall Road, and has already converted the upstairs into two large meeting spaces.
Now they want to buy the building to continue using it for training, and have come up with an array of fundraising events to help them reach their target.
The first event will be held on Saturday – a tipsy tea party at the cafe.
Other activities include a race night in July, a barn dance in October and a classic car rally in September.
There will also be the chance to bid for some CD art in a silent auction, or the chance to buy a square of the planned stained glass entrance.
Trainees at the Flycup already receive a variety of SVQ level courses and board member Fiona Allan hopes the expansion will help even more reach their goals.
She said said: “Our 37 trainees have a wide range of learning difficulties and our main purpose is helping them gain more confidence and get them into paid employment.
“They work in the kitchen, baking or cooking, in the shop front serving and getting communication skills, counting till cash and donations, or they help deliver baked products to local businesses.
“We put a lot of investment into the upstairs learning space but we need £250,000 by January to put down the deposit as they will hold the price until then.”
Cameron Will, a trainee at the cafe, said: “I love it here.
“Everyone here is my friends and it’s great for other adults with learning disabilities, I have three and it’s really good for me.”
Trainee Kirsty Matheson said: “I do enjoy it as I like meeting other people and it’s a good way to learn other things.
“I love to help with the baking. Shortbread is my favourite.”
Volunteer Pavla Horakova recently walked the 97 mile West Highland Way in three days with her boyfriend Hamish raising £1,085.
She said: “I like passing on my years of customer service skills and it will be good to have more facilities and more courses for them.
“The walk was definitely challenging but it was great knowing it’s helping them get employment.”
