Who is this service intended for? Anyone affected by loss or loneliness
Where is this service provided? With local partners across Herts and Bucks, please see timetable below for list of locations and timings
When is this service available? Various - please see timetable below for list of locations and timings
About our Cafés
Rennie Grove Peace’s Compassionate Cafés are drop-in sessions in a local venue or with a local partner. They provide a space for members of our community who have been affected by any type of loss and would like to come along for a friendly chat and a chance to meet others over a cup of tea.
There is no need to book, so please just come along.
Where this service is available
Compassionate Cafes
Our catchment area spans West Herts and Bucks. We launched our first Compassionate Cafés in and around the Watford area but are working quickly to expand.
Bushey, Borehamwood & Oxhey
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Trust (partnership), Bushey | Refreshments donations based. Dog friendly | Red Café, Phoenix Centre, Farrington Avenue, Bushey, WD23 3DG | 1st Saturday, 11:30am-1:30pm |
| Inspire All (partnership) Borehamwood | Free refreshments. Dog friendly | 96 Shenley Road Community Hub, Borehamwood, WD6 1EB | 1st & 3rd Thursday, 2:00pm-4:00pm. From May 3rd Thursday, 2:00-3:30pm |
| Oxhey Compassionate Café with TRDC Healthy Hub (partnership), Oxhey Library | Free refreshments | Oxhey Library, Bridlington Road, South Oxhey, WD19 7AG | 1:00pm-2:30pm 30th May, 25th July, 26th September, 28th November 2024, 30th Jan & 27th March 2025 |
Great Missenden
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Missenden Library (partnership), Great Missenden | Free refreshments | Great Missenden Community Library, High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AL | Last Wednesday, 10:00am-11:30am |
Potters Bar
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loaves & Fishes Café (partnership), Potters Bar | Refreshments donations based. Dog friendly | Christ Church Little Heath, Great North Rd, Potters Bar, EN6 1JN | Every Wednesday, 10:00am-12:00pm |
St Albans & Harpenden
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Well Bean Café, Harpenden Trust (partnership), Harpenden | Refreshments donations based. Dog friendly | Harpenden Trust Halls (above the Co-op), 130 Southdown Road, Harpenden, AL5 1PU | 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 2:00pm-3:30pm |
| Cottonmill Community Café with Leeanna's Wish (partnership), St Albans | Free refreshments. Dog friendly | Cottonmill Community & Cycling Centre, Cottonmill Lane, St. Albans, AL1 2EF | Last Tuesday, 12:00pm-1:30pm. From May will be 10:30am-12.30pm |
| Cross Street Café with Dagnall St. Church (partnership), St Albans | Refreshments for sale. Dog friendly | Cross Street Centre, 1 Cross Street Café, Cross St, St Albans, AL3 5EE | 2nd Thursday, 10:00am-11:30am |
| Jersey Farm Café with Ridgeway Church (partnership), St Albans | Refreshments donations based. Dog friendly | Jersey Farm Café, Jersey Farm Community Centre, 3 St. Brelades Pl, St Albans, AL4 9RG | 2nd Friday, 2:30pm-4:00pm |
| St Saviours Cafe with St Saviours Church (partnership), St Albans | Refreshments free. Dog friendly | St Saviours Church Hall, Sandpit Lane, St Albans, AL1 4DF | 2nd Tuesday, 2:00pm-3:30pm |
| Café on the Corner with Camphill Village Trust (partnership), St Albans | Refreshments for sale. Dog friendly | 39 Catherine Street, St Albans, AL3 5BJ | 3rd Saturday, 10:30am-12:00pm |
Tring
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wigginton Community Shop & Café (partnership), Wigginton | Refreshments for sale. Dog friendly | The Sports Ground, Chesham Road, Wigginton, HP23 6HH | 1st Wednesday, 1:30pm-3:00pm |
Watford & Croxley
| Compassionate Cafe | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kitchen, Croxley | Refreshments for sale. Dog friendly | 198 Watford Road, Croxley Green WD3 3DB | 1st Friday, 10:00am-11:00am |
| Café West (partnership), West Watford | Refreshments donations based. Dog friendly | West Watford Free Church (Baptist), Tolpits Lane, WD18 6NU | 3rd Tuesday, 9:15am-12:15pm (closed on 20 August & 17 December) |
| Random Café (partnership), North Watford | Refreshments for sale. Dog friendly | 24A Garsmouth Way, Watford, WD25 9DR | 3rd Thursday, 10:00am-11:30am |
Compassionate Café Pop-Ups
| Compassionate Café Pop Up | Facilities and costs | Address | Day/time | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRDC Healthy Hub Compassionate Café at Hillside Hub | Free refreshments | Hillside Community Hub, 4A School Mead, Abbots Langley, WD5 0LB | 1:00pm-3:00pm, Wednesday 17th April 2024 | This café is run in partnership with Healthy Hub, Three Rivers District Council |
By:
- offering a safe and welcoming space for people to come together
- offering friendship, emotional support and a listening ear
- helping people connect with their local community
- providing information, guidance and signposting to available services
A volunteer-led service, tailored to what is needed in the local community.
If you or a family member would like to attend a Compassionate Support Cafe, please drop in or contact the Compassionate Communities team on 01923 330330 or click the link below.
Like all Rennie Grove Peace services, our Compassionate Support Cafes in West Herts and Bucks are offered free of charge (some costs for refreshments). We can only deliver the services thanks to the generosity of the local community and the volunteers involved.
If you’d like to make a donation to support our services, you can do that here.
Our Compassionate Communities Group volunteers offer their companionship, time, social and emotional support to people towards the end of life due to age or illness and/or people who are suffering with a loss, in a group setting like a Compassionate Support Hub and/or Compassionate Café.
"Thank you all for your care, kindness and understanding, I don't know how I would have got through the early days of my husband's passing without you, so thank you for being there for me." - C
"Without doubt, the Compassionate Café made such a positive difference to me. It was wonderful to meet like-minded people who understood what I was going through and gave me the space to talk about how I was feeling, and where I could share my memories and my experiences. I feel I have now gained a renewed sense of purpose and structure in my life, and I am in a much better place than a few months ago – I’m now even looking at volunteering myself” - S
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Expanding our Compassionate Cafés programme in St Albans
Five new locations for our Compassionate Cafes to open by January 2024.
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Compassionate Support Hubs
Providing a space where people affected by the diagnosis of a progressive life-limiting illness can drop in to meet others for a friendly chat, a drink, and a wellbeing activity
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Nominations and enquiries for Compassionate Communities
Whether you'd like to make a nomination to our Compassionate Communities, have a question, or would like to volunteer your time or services - we'd love to hear from you
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