Three-month reprieve for ‘well-loved’ Sutton café Rumbles

Rumbles Community Café, on Sutton Lawn, was served notice from Ashfield Council to vacate the premises at the end of its lease.

The venue and its catering programme has supported people with learning disabilities by providing work experience opportunities and training.

The Rumbles catering project – that also runs Rumbles at Vicar Water, Clipstone, has been running for 25 years and has offered thousands of placements to people in the community.

Rumbles at Sutton Lawn has been open for 15 years.

Following the eviction notice, café director Tamar Roberts launched a petition to stop the closure and it has since received more than 3,000 signatures in support over the last week.

Georgina Dolan, the founder of the Rumbles café and catering project, said: “I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few days upon being served an eviction notice.

“We have now been given three months to renegotiate a new lease. but we still need your ongoing support to hopefully keep our much-loved community café.”

Jane Holness, a supporter of the petition, said: “Rumbles is a fantastic establishment that gives opportunities for people with disabilities.”

Joanne Benson from Ashfield, another signature on the petition, said: “It provides a valuable service to our challenged community.

“By helping them gain skills to gain employment.”

Georgina said it has been an emotional time for all the staff but they are thrilled with the support the café has received from the community, as they work on renegotiating with the council.

Ashfield Council has been approached for comment.

Coun David Hennigan, Independent member for Sutton Central and New Cross, where Rumbles is based, said: “I am pleased that the council has offered them a three month extension to negotiate the future.

“The reality is the council has subsidised about £150,000 over the last 15 years and in the current environment this is not doable.

“I personally would like Rumbles to stay and I have assisted the team in the past and I will assist them in the future.

“We need to sit and discuss the future positively, as the café renegotiates a contract with the council.”