Closure of The Olive Tree Cafe

The Trustees of the Recovery Tree Charity are absolutely devastated to announce the closure of the Cafe on 28th February 2025.

As a Community Cafe we are reliant on grant funding to support our ongoing operations; unfortunately; we've not been able to secure the funds needed to keep the Cafe open.

The Cafe has been open since 2011 and over 14 years has served the community formidably providing volunteering and paid employment opportunities to people with mental health challenges.

In 2024 the community of Swindon rallied together to support our relocation from the Manor Garden Centre; to Toomers and we raised over £20,000 to support those efforts.

The trustees would like to extend our gratitude to Phyllida Richards our Cafe manager since the beginning as well as all of our fantastic volunteers and staff. Without you, our success over more than a decade would not have been possible. We would also like to show our appreciation for your dedication and professionalism over the last few weeks as have been considering the future of the cafe.

We would also like to thank our grant funders and the fantastic community of Swindon which have contributed to our success.

Finally, we would like to thank the Toomer Family who helped us with a new home last year; you helped to keep us going and continue serving the community a little bit longer.

The work of the charity continues with TWIGS Community Gardens which remains open.

The trustees can be contacted via email: trustees@therecoverytreecharity.org.uk

 

The Recovery Tree Charity - Olive Tree Cafe
Opening times:

Our new opening times from 1st February are:

Monday to Friday: 10:30 to 4.00

Saturday: 10:00 to 4.00

Sunday: 10.30 - 4.00

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Snacks, cakes and nibbles served all day
Hot food served until 2:00pm
Cold and hot drinks served all day
Garden seating for that warmer weather!

About the cafe

First opened in 2011, our aim is to provide opportunities for people dealing with mental health difficulties to learn new skills, build their confidence and to take their next steps in the world of work and beyond.

From October 2024, after a short closure, we have been located in Toomer's Country Store and Garden Centre.

We are open to the public, offering an escape from the bustling world outside; a hub for conversation and friendship. Whether you find yourself a quiet corner inside, or take a seat in our sunny cafe garden, you will be able to choose from a menu made using freshly produced, locally sourced ingredients.

We're dog friendly!

We have dog-friendly tables in our garden room. Due to limited space we can only allow small dogs inside the cafe.

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Volunteering and work experience

View the volunteering and work experience opportunities available at the cafe.

Upcoming events at the cafe

Have a look and come along to one of the upcoming events being held at the Olive Tree Cafe.

The Recovery Tree Charity - Olive Tree Cafe

Take a look around!

The Olive Tree Cafe has several comfortable seating areas including our enclosed courtyard garden. 

TWIGS garden

The difference we're making

Our services have a real impact on people’s lives. Working in the friendly, supportive environment at the Olive Tree Cafe improves peoples’ confidence, helps them feel better about themselves and enables them to learn new skills.

They can then take steps (however large or small) to improve their overall well-being and grow again. Many go on to work, volunteering or further learning, which they say they would have struggled with before they came to us.

15% On to further learning
8% On to further volunteering
19% On to paid work
12% On to another experience or D of E Award

Graham Wiltshire
Cafe customer

“...it’s great to see people blossom as they gain confidence to take orders, serve at a table and take on cooking skills. It’s a calm environment and has a lovely outside area for spring and summer, and every now and then a piano player provides a lovely musical backdrop.”

Anonymous
Olive Tree Cafe service user

“I wake up on Mondays and know my life is a lot happier and healthier, knowing that I am spending my time giving, and getting back so much. My life would be empty without it!”

Adam Rose
New College Foundation Learning Lecturer and Job Coach

"The environment within Olive Tree Cafe was perfect for our students and the feedback from staff was supportive and encouraging. The team dynamic and bond within Olive Tree was so strong and despite the students being new, they were welcomed in from the get-go."

Phyllida Richards
Olive Tree Cafe Manager

“Here’s why we do this. Recently, one of our volunteers came in for coffee with a friend. The next day she was volunteering, and told me that as she was driving home at the end of the day she had a glimpse of ‘what a sense of belonging might feel like’ – she had never had that growing up, or in her work life… although she had provided that for many others.”

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Our partnerships

Just around the corner from us is TWIGS Community Gardens, also part of the The Recovery Tree Charity. The beautiful gardens at TWIGS provide tranquil spaces for relaxation and a chance to engage the senses.  A craft studio and woodworking shop offer the opportunity to be creative.

Support us

Please do consider supporting what we do. You can:

Donate: Every donation, large or small is so valued and goes directly towards the support we are able to provide.

Fundraise: Run, walk, bungie (or anything else!) in aid of The Recovery Tree Charity.

Spread the word: Tell your friends, family and colleagues. 

Thank you!

We are so grateful for your support, whether through donations, time or spreading the word about what we do. Thank you!

Donate via Paypal

You can make an online monetary donation to The Recovery Tree Charity using via our PayPal account.

Donate via Paypal

Donate while you shop online

You can support us while you shop online by registering with easyfundraising. Once registered, they will donate to us each time you shop. It’s free and helps us!

Go to easyfundraising

Swindon Community Lottery

Support us by playing the Swindon Community Lottery and have a chance to win cash prizes.

Play the Lottery

Volunteer in the cafe

We're always on the lookout for volunteers so if you have some time to spare, please view our volunteering page for opportunities and application form.

Volunteer

Contact the Olive Tree Cafe

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and one of the cafe team will respond as soon as possible. 

Olive Tree Cafe

Toomer's Country Store & Garden Centre

Stone Lane

Lydiard Millicent

Swindon

SN5 3LD

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