THE Joy Café in Boscombe has been visited by Faith Minister Lord Bourne as part of his national faith tour.

The trip is to celebrate flagship institutions inspired by faith that go above and beyond in their community.

Joy Café’s founder and manager Becky Playfair said it was an “honour and a privilege”.

“It gives a lot of encouragement for our team here. It shows that what they do can really make a difference and its amazing that what they’re doing is being recognised.”

This recent visit shows the rapid rise of the Joy Café, a not-for-profit business set up only four years ago.

Becky continues: “I moved to Bournemouth after university and wanted to become part of the community.

“I used to come to the park a lot and I noticed that there wasn’t a communal area for people to sit down and relax. I knew that the square needed a café and a meeting space.”

Since its recent renovation, the café has become a focal point in the community, hosting many activities such as a ladies’ craft morning on Tuesdays.

Karina Smith, who runs the workshop, said: “The café has really become part of the community and the square. It’s a safe space for people to come to and relax and the workshops that are run here help people to get involved in the community.”

With plans of opening seven days a week and running even more activities, the future looks bright for the café in Churchill Gardens.

“Life can be so stressful sometimes, Becky said, “so we have given people a space where they can socialise and be themselves.”