Father-of-two Ben Robinson is putting families first with the opening of a cafe with a difference.
He has converted the former NatWest Bank in Huddersfield Road, Mirfield, into Babyccinos – a cafe combining good food and coffee for parents with plenty of creative fun for their children.
Ben decided to launch the cafe after failing to find “the perfect combination of child-friendly facilities and mouth-watering food and drink” when out with his seven-year-old daughter Georgia and son Jack, who is almost two.
Ben said: “I found lovely coffee shops and cafes, but with no space for a pram and poor baby-changing facilities or uncomfortable chairs for feeding and tuts and looks when a friend breastfed at the table.
“I found wonderful play gyms where the kids were entirely catered for – but lunch was a dry cheese toastie and the coffee was out of a sachet. I couldn’t find what I was looking for so eventually, I decided to make it myself.”
Babyccinos includes a “baby garden” where babies can play within arm’s reach of their mums and dads; a toddler forest with tree houses and dens; a stage for kids to perform on; and a specially-created “meadow” in what was the bank vault for children’s classes.
There’s also a “snug” area with vintage leather armchairs, which provide a secluded space for breastfeeding.
With growing concern about good mental health, Babyccinos is also working in partnership with Kirklees Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) to provide free registered child-minding for anyone attending appointments with IAPT from the café.
Ben has also arranged for regular “pamper” sessions for harassed mums and mums to be, including massages, beauty treatments, hairdressing and alternative therapies.
The menu at Babyccinos includes soups, sandwiches, breakfasts, and hot pot dishes including slow-cooked beef steak chilli or a pork and chorizo tagine.
IAPT, which is run by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has a team of qualified and experienced professionals trained in talking therapies, such as cognitive behaviour therapy and counselling. They help people get quick and easy access to the best type of therapy for their individual needs.
The team can support people to address problems, gain a new understanding of their difficulties and develop a new way of coping – and to talk about their experiences in a non-judgemental and supportive environment.
Fran Ball, a psychological wellbeing practitioner with IAPT, who will be offering assessments at the café, said: “Common problems like depression, anxiety, stress, panicking, nervousness, isolation and loss of sleep make it difficult for us to cope with life’s daily demands, particularly when you have young children.
“By offering free childcare in partnership with Babyccinos, we hope to enable more people to get the help and support they need, particularly parents who may struggle to find childcare in order to attend appointments.
“On a Tuesday morning we will be offering assessments at the café for people accessing our service through the main referral route, and on Tuesday afternoons we will be offering more of a drop-in service where people visiting the café can speak to us in confidence.”
You can refer yourself to IAPT at any time by calling 01484 343700 or by completing a referral form at www.askforiapt.co.uk .
The cafe opens to the public at 9am on Monday (June 4).
