Lancashire Youth Challenge is hosting its first Youth Cafe of 2026 on 28 March in Lancaster.
Rachel Parsons and Izzy Breeze explain how the whole thing came about and how it’s had a lasting impact on the group…
This Saturday, 28 March, Lancashire Youth Challenge’s Time to Breathe group are very excited to be hosting their first Youth Cafe of 2026 at E2M, Church Street, Lancaster between 12 – 2pm.
Open to young people of all ages, the Youth Cafe is a safe space to drop in, chill out and share some food prepped and cooked by young people who have been attending the project this term.
Time to Breathe is Lancashire Youth Challenge’s innovative, nature-based programme which encourages young people to pause, reflect and reconnect.
The programme centres around the cyclical rhythms of our earth, connecting with natural, local landscapes, the seasons and ever-changing weather.
Last year, one of the highlights of Time to Breathe was the opportunity for young people to grow, harvest and cook produce that they then served at a series of youth cafes.
Described by one of the group as a ‘real life Grow a Garden’, the soil to fork, hands on approach had a lasting impact on the group.
It really helped them to connect with the earth and explore where food comes from.
They were especially proud of the potatoes they grew and developed a passion for cooking rosti on the camp fire!
Not only did the group grow and cook the produce for the cafes, but they gained experience of planning and organising events, budgeting and working with the public.
They took on a wide range of roles from front of house to cook and washer-upper as well as DJ!
More than anything the Time to Breathe group enjoyed developing the skills to work as a team and loved meeting the public and seeing their reaction to the food when they told them they had grown and cooked it all.
To find out more come down to the Youth Café this Saturday enjoy some food, music and chat to the young people behind it all!
If you would like to refer a young person to Time to Breathe or find out more about Lancashire Youth Challenge’s wider programme, email: Rachel.parsons@lanaschireyouthchallenge.co.uk
