A MONMOUTHSHIRE village community café was recently awarded £500 by a local housing association as part of their commitment to supporting local groups.

Rogiet Community Café was co-founded in September 2015 by Fay Baxter and Ilona Watson with the guidance of Sara Warshawski from Monmouthshire County Council.

It was given the money from Monmouthshire Housing Association at the end of January, as the group needed a new freezer to allow them to plan and stock more food.

The community café runs alongside the pop-up Post Office at Rogiet Community Centre each Wednesday, and the combined efforts of the Post Office with the café helps to provide warm food, drinks, cakes and other baked goods.

Ms Baxter said: “We set up the café as a hub for the local area. Until recently the community is made up of long-time residents who remember the older community based around the train station in its hey-day and newer residents who have no memory of the community here.

“When the Post Office shop closed we wanted to bring back that focal point for the village.”

Ilona Watson and Sara Warshawski added: “We’re thrilled with the funding support we’ve received as it means that we’re able to make a small profit that we can then put back into local events.”

In addition to the regular pop-up café, the group also used profits from the café to fund other seasonal events such as an annual Christmas tree lighting and carols in Rogiet.

The next community event the café will be holding is a ‘Kids Café’ on February 17, where children can enjoy child sized treats and play in the café.