New community café opens at Northstowe Secondary College with support from rural funding

Since opening in June, the new community café at Northstowe Secondary College has quickly become a welcoming, affordable spot for residents of all ages to meet, connect, and relax. Open every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6.30 pm, with plans to add Thursdays, the café is part of a wider network of community facilities designed to support Northstowe’s growing population.

The café has been made possible thanks to £100,000 in funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which aims to support rural communities and help them thrive.

The grant has funded essential café equipment, including chiller displays, a coffee machine, ovens, and other catering equipment, and has enabled the café to open quickly and to a high standard.

Part of a growing hub for community life

Located inside the award-winning Northstowe Secondary College, the café sits alongside a range of facilities that will be shared with the wider community. These include a gym, sports hall, 3G pitch, dance studios, and a theatre space. A specialist operator is scheduled to take over the management of these shared facilities later this year, but the café is already operational and in use in the meantime.

Claire Gibbons, growth manager at South Cambridgeshire District Council, commented:

“There are excellent facilities at Northstowe Secondary College that benefit both the school and the wider community. Although the majority of these facilities were included when the school was first built, the café was to follow along with a gym in due course.”

The café is run by Northstowe Hub, a local charity formed in 2023 that also operates the original community café at The Hub on Pathfinder Way. The first café has been running successfully for over two years and remains open on Wednesdays (9 am – 12.30 pm and 3.30 – 5 pm) and Sundays (10 am – 12 pm).

Hektor Marden, chair of Northstowe Hub, added:

“These cafés are designed as a community focal point for people of all ages. Whether it’s someone rebuilding confidence through volunteering, a sixth-form student gaining work experience, or a parent waiting during an after-school club, the café is a welcoming space for all.”

Designed with purpose and people in mind

The cafés aim to address a simple but important need. They provide comfortable, inclusive, low-cost spaces for people to gather. Prices are kept affordable, and any surplus funds are reinvested into free community events such as the Midsummer Festival and Light Up Northstowe.

Hub for creativity

The new café at Northstowe Hub is becoming a hub for creative activity this autumn, hosting a series of craft and art sessions for new residents in Stirling Fields. Designed to help people connect with their neighbours in a relaxed and informal setting, these hands-on activities will run alongside the usual café opening times on 14 and 21 October. The café sessions have already been positively received by the community and are now providing a welcoming space for creativity, conversation, and new connections.

Supporting young people and building confidence

The café is closely linked to the life of the school and its young people. It runs during popular activity times like the Youth Hive and dance clubs, meaning many families and young people are regular visitors. Work experience placements are also offered for students from Northstowe Secondary College and Martin Bacon Academy, giving young people valuable skills in a real-world environment. 

The Northstowe Hub community cafés are a clear example of how rural funding can spark genuine grassroots change, turning something as simple as a cup of tea into a catalyst for connection. These cafés do more than serve refreshments; they nurture community resilience, build social ties, and create a sense of belonging.

Situated in a prime location at Northstowe Secondary College, the café is ideally placed for families attending activities, residents walking around the lakes, and those moving into new homes nearby. Community spaces like this are at the heart of Northstowe, with rural funding helping to strengthen the fabric of the town and support its growing population.

Looking ahead

With the café now open and thriving, focus is shifting to the next exciting phase — the launch of the gym and continued development of the wider shared-use facilities at the school. Northstowe Hub will remain at the heart of the community, championing inclusive, community-led activities and supporting local groups to grow and thrive. Join an innovative, international community in a green and active new town that’s shaping a healthier, more connected future.

To learn more about the Rural England Prosperity Fund, visit the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority website.